San Ildefonso Pueblo Antelope Dancer [SOLD]

Julian Martinez was quite a talented artist.  He may have been working at the Santa Fe Fine Art Museum as a janitor in the 1920s but that was not to be his career for the remainder of his life.  He and his wife Maria were experimenting with pottery ideas and he was painting scenes of pueblo ceremonial dances and abstract designs on paper, when time permitted.  He painted murals at the Santa Fe Indian School and Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.  He had a short life—only 58 years—but made the most of it.

On his flat art, Julian generally drew the image in pencil, then painted in the designs with water based paints.  He routinely used soft pastel colors on tinted paper, resulting in a pleasing combination that is appealing to view.  Once he and Maria became famous for their Black-on-black pottery, Julian had little time for easel painting.

This image of a single Antelope Dancer is very typical of his style.  There is no ground plane or background imagery to detract from the main subject.  Even his signature was painted in faint color rather than in bold black paint.  

Condition: appears to be in original condition.

Provenance: from the estate of a former client from New York

Recommended Reading:  Modern by Tradition: American Indian Painting in the Studio Style by Bruce Bernstein

Photo of Julian Martinez copyright Adobe Gallery.  Do not use without permission.  Written on the back of the photograph: 

San Ildefonso Pueblo, NM
Sun 8/23/31
Maria's husband stands beside our car. He was a good natured and a well-mannered fellow. 
Mara is a famous pottery maker. Their work is much in demand. 
I have 4 pieces.