Untitled Painting of Navajo Reservation Scene [SOLD]

Navajo artist Robert Draper (1938-2000) was born with the name Robert Martin (son of Janet Descheeny, Navajo, and Frank Martin, Hopi - Laguna) in Chinle, Arizona. From the age of two, he lived on the Navajo Reservation with his grandparents who raised him. He grew up knowing the seasons of the high desert. He was given their surname of Draper when he entered school at the age of eight. He attended Chinle Boarding School on the Navajo Reservation, Intermountain Indian School in Utah for four years, and the Institute of America Indian Arts in Santa Fe where he veered away from the traditional two-dimensional painting style and concentrated on painting in the European or semi-European style, presenting realistic scenes of the beautiful landscapes of the Navajo Reservation.

Draper’s vibrant images of Monument Valley are a reminder of the beauty found in the landscapes of the Navajo Reservation. He has painted the towering spires of red rock as they reach up and touch the deep blue sky and the many-hued clouds above. His use of watercolor lends itself to the textures found in the desert following a summer rainstorm. In the foreground a small, still pool of water stands, the outcome of a passing storm. Draper has painted a traditional Navajo home, a hogan with a brush covered ramada behind it. The hogan seems to be sheltered by the imposing buttes and mesas. The work reflects the appreciation Draper has for the colors and feel of the Colorado Plateau.

The Untitled Painting of Navajo Reservation Scene is signed in the lower left. It is placed in a carved wood frame.

Condition: The painting is in excellent condition

Provenance: From the estate of a New York gentleman who amassed a very large collection of Native American art.

Recommended Reading: Southwest Indian Painting - a changing art by Clara Lee Tanner