Fritz William Scholder (American - Mission/Luiseno, 1937-2005). "Martyr with Two Dogs" monotype, n.d. Signature and title handwritten in pencil at bottom. A fascinating monotype by the legendary Fritz Scholder depicting a martyr - a deceased Native American hanging by tied feet - who is flanked by a pair of dogs who are similarly suspended. The deceased figure is delineated in orange with a vacant expression and the pink dogs are rendered in profile reaching toward the martyr, all against an eerie background of grey and black. With this composition, Scholder boldly challenged art history's tradition of the romanticized Native American as Noble Savage. Sheet Size: 30" W x 41" H (76.2 cm x 104.1 cm)
Fritz Scholder created powerful depictions of Native Americans that depart from stereotypes. Interestingly, although Scholder was enrolled as a member of the Luiseno tribe, he oftentimes claimed that he was not actually Indian. Nevertheless, his art demonstrated a refreshing rejection of sentimental, romantic portrayals of indigenous peoples. In his words, "I have painted the Indian real, not red." He based his imagery on actual historical research. For example, Scholder revealed that his painting of a Native American wrapped in an American flag, an image that has become iconic, was based on "19th-century prison photographs of Indians dressed in surplus flags in lieu of their confiscated tribal regalia." In addition to the meaningful political messages of this art, Scholder's style, with its kinetic brushwork and vibrant colors, have truly set him apart. Various art historians have described Scholder's style as a fusion of Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism. Scholder, however, referred to himself an "American expressionist" who celebrated paint and what it can do. In his words, "Paint drips, it smears. It's not because I'm trying to fool anyone into thinking this is a three-dimensional object on a two-dimensional surface ..."
Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance),
we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#173002
Condition
Signature and title handwritten in pencil at bottom. Set in a custom white matte and frame under glass. Artwork has not been examined outside the frame but appears to be in very nice condition. Tears to gallery paper on verso as shown. Fitted with a suspension wire for display.