Original Painting "Bringing in the Stray Lamb" by Harrison Begay

In this original painting by Harrison Begay, a Navajo boy on horseback gently brings a stray lamb back to the herd. A small colt follows closely behind while a loyal dog leads the group across the landscape. The scene is rendered with Begay's signature grace and precision, offering a quiet narrative filled with movement and care.

Framing this pastoral moment are two Yei figures — sacred beings in Navajo cosmology who act as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual realms. They rise from the clouds on either side of the composition, with a radiant sun at the center taking the form of a buffalo. This striking symbolic fusion blends the life-giving energy of the sun with the power and abundance embodied by the buffalo.

Begay's use of color is characteristically poetic. The golden chamisa plants, delicate yet resilient, float above green stalks in the background. The boy's clothing is rendered in soft yet vibrant hues, naturally drawing the eye. Above, two bluebirds fly in perfect symmetry, a familiar motif in Begay's work that reinforces balance and harmony.

Harrison Begay (1917-2012), also known by his Diné name Haskay Yahne Yah, enjoyed a career spanning over 75 years. A student of Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School, he became one of the most celebrated Native American painters of the 20th century, known for his portrayals of Navajo life, spirituality, and landscape.

Signed Haskay Yahne Yah in the lower left and Harrison Begay in the lower right.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: This Original Painting "Bringing in the Stray Lamb" by Harrison Begay is from a collector in Albuquerque.

Recommended Reading: Indian Art: The Dorothy Dunn Collection of Native American Paintings, published in El Palacio, Winter 1977

TAGS: Navajo Nation, Native American Paintings, Harrison Begay, Diné of the Navajo Nation Painter