Rare SET of Four Pablita Velarde Autographed Christmas Prints [SOLD]

These four collectible greeting cards display works by Santa Clara Pueblo artist Pablita Velarde. In 1960, Velarde was commissioned to do four interpretative Indian paintings of the Nativity Story for the Christmas issue of New Mexico Magazine. These inspiring renditions received many favorable comments, and are now owned by the State of New Mexico.

These colorful casein paintings were reproduced on a set of greeting cards.

The first, titled The Flight, features Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and a burro.

The second, titled The Pueblo, the Navajo and the Plains Chiefs, depicts a midnight meeting of tribal leaders.

The third, titled The Wisemen, depicts the baby Jesus and family with three Native wisemen.

The fourth, titled Nativity with Shepherd, features the same scene as the third with a shepherd and his flock replacing the wisemen.

Each image is printed on a greeting card, with an envelope accompanying each card and a clear sleeve for the set. Each card is hand signed in pen by the artist.

Pablita Velarde (1918-2006) Tse Tsan - Golden Dawn was an innovative and influential artist from Santa Clara Pueblo. Velarde was one of the first full-time female students in Dorothy Dunn's art class at the Santa Fe Indian School, where she studied alongside Tonita Peña. These two women are regarded as the first Native American women to support themselves as painters, but it's not just because of this that they are remembered so fondly. It's because of the quality of their works that they have remained so visible in the many years since they have passed. Velarde's works are included in many prominent public and private collections, and she is generally regarded as a significant figure in the world of Native American art. Velarde passed away in 2006.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Rare SET of Four Pablita Velarde Autographed Christmas Prints is from a Santa Fe resident

Recommended Reading: The James T. Bialac Native American Art Collection - Selected Works

TAGS: Native American Paintings, Santa Clara Pueblo, Tonita Peña, watercolor, Helen Hardin, Navajo Nation, Pablita Velarde