Original Painting of an Apache Gaan "Crown-Devil Dancer" by Wilson Dewey [SOLD]

The Apache Crown Dancers, more accurately known as the Gaan, are spiritual figures who appear during girls' puberty rites and curing ceremonies. Their distinctive headpieces vary depending on the specific ceremonial context. Representing the four Mountain Spirits who support the four corners of the earth, the Gaan embody balance, protection, and healing. Their dances reflect the sacred powers they carry and their vital role in Apache cosmology.

This painting by Wilson Dewey captures a Gaan dancer with extraordinary clarity and detail. The figure is rendered in a simplified yet realistic style that brings out the intricacy of the dancer's costume. Each fringe on the skirt, every feather suspended from the arms, and the elaborate headdress are all painted with remarkable precision. The work conveys the cultural significance of the subject and stands as a testament to Dewey's technical skill and sensitivity.

Wilson Dewey was born in 1915 on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona. After the construction of the Coolidge Dam submerged much of the original reservation, the community was relocated to higher ground, now referred to as the new San Carlos Reservation. Dewey studied at the Santa Fe Indian School beginning in 1935, during the influential period of Dorothy Dunn, and completed his education at Albuquerque Indian School. He later served in the U.S. Army during World War II and lived in Santa Fe, where he remained active in athletics and art.

Fellow artist Joe Herrera of Cochiti Pueblo remembered Dewey as a standout athlete, especially known for his strength in pushups. Dewey also contributed to the decoration of the Maisel Building in Albuquerque along with other Santa Fe Indian School students.

This painting is featured as Figure 7.86 in Clara Lee Tanner's Southwest Indian Painting: A Changing Art, where she highlights the evolution of Dewey's work. She praises his later paintings, such as this one, for their flowing lines, strong ethnographic detail, and dynamic sense of action. The painting is signed in the lower right with the name Sundust and a radiating sun hallmark, one of Dewey's known signatures. It is framed in what appears to be its original frame.

Condition: good condition

Provenance: This Original Painting of an Apache Gaan "Crown-Devil Dancer" by Wilson Dewey was originally acquired from Adobe Gallery and is now being offered through a collector in Albuquerque.

Recommended Reading: Southwest Indian Painting: A Changing Art by Clara Lee Tanner

TAGS: Wilson Dewey, San Carlos Apache Reservation, Joe Herrera, Cochiti Pueblo, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Native American Paintings