Taos Pueblo Large Painting of Pueblo Village and Natives [SOLD]

Very few early Native painters chose to work in the white man’s oil paints and produce art in the European style. Those who did found that their work was dismissed during their lifetimes for not being “Indian” enough.  Three Taos Pueblo Indians did paint in the style of the famous Taos artists and were certainly influenced to do so by those Anglo artists.  Albert Looking Elk Martinez (1888-1940), Albert Weasel Arrow Lujan (1892-1948), and Juan W. Mirabal (1903-1970) were the three.

The artwork of Looking Elk was conventional in design and content and interpreted everyday scenes at the pueblo in naturalistic style. The informal, unschooled and realistic approach of the artist to his themes and subject matter defied contemporary notion of “Indian” art before World War II.

When Looking Elk was 12 years old, he began posing for artist Oscar Berninghaus. It is evident that over the years of posing for Berninghaus, he developed a curiosity about the process of oil painting. Berninghaus presented him with a complete set of oil paints and brushes as a Christmas present one year. Undoubtedly, Berninghaus instructed him in the use of the paints.

This painting is typical of Looking Elk’s style. It is a view of Taos Pueblo with the majestic Taos Mountains in the background.  Few of his paintings had people in them but this one has two women and several clothes lines of colorful clothing.  Many of his paintings were of post card size and some were stamped and sent through the mail! This one is significantly larger.  The painting is signed Albert Looking Elk in lower right.

The painting is still in its 1930s original frame.  The frame is scuffed up in areas but could be repaired and painted where necessary.  We have chosen to leave it as it is unless the purchaser wishes for us to have it conserved.

Condition: the painting is in excellent condition

Provenance: this Taos Pueblo Large Painting of Pueblo Village and Natives is from a Santa Fe family which has owned it since it was created in the 1930s.

Recommended Reading: "Taos Pueblo Painters Exhibit Sheds Light on Forgotten Artists” by Elmo Baca. Published in New Mexico Magazine, January 2000.