Oscar Howe
(Yanktonai Dakota 1915-1983)
Blessings for fertility, circa 1957
Casein on paper
Signed lower right: Oscar Howe; titled by repute
Image/Sheet: 12" H x 18" W
Provenance: John "Leonard" Jennewein, acquired from the artist circa 1957
Linova Jennewein, daughter of Leonard, Rapid City, SD
By descent from the above, Rapid City, SD


Other Notes: Provenance traces the painting's journey from the artist to John "Leonard" Jennewein. Oscar Howe and Jennewein shared a close friendship and professional relationship at Dakota Wesleyan University, where Jennewein held a professorship. When Jennewein's son tied the knot, Howe crafted this painting in his classic "Santa Fe" style as a heartfelt wedding present for the newlyweds. Its significance transcended mere artistry, as Howe conveyed to the couple that it symbolized fertility. Remarkably, Howe's gift bore fruit, as the couple was later blessed with a son and a daughter. The current owner of this work is the daughter that this painting had hoped for.

Oscar Howe (1915-1983) was a renowned Native American artist who is best known for his innovative and expressive depictions of traditional Dakota culture and mythology. Born on the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota, Howe grew up immersed in his heritage and was deeply influenced by the rich visual traditions of his people.

Despite facing significant obstacles as a Native American artist in a predominantly white art world, Howe persevered and became one of the most respected and celebrated artists of his generation. Howe experimented with a wide range of artistic styles and techniques, eventually developing a highly individualized style that blended traditional Dakota imagery with contemporary abstract forms. He drew inspiration from the geometric designs and bright colors of Dakota bead-work and quilt-work, as well as from the bold, sweeping lines of modernist painting.

Throughout his career, Howe created a vast body of work that included paintings, drawings, prints, and murals, as well as sculptures and installations. His art was exhibited widely in galleries and museums across the United States and Europe, and he received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the field. Despite facing discrimination and marginalization throughout his life, Oscar Howe remained committed to his artistic vision and his cultural heritage.

In 1948, Oscar Howe was named Artist-in Residence by Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota, where he taught art and earned a Bachelor's Degree. He earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1954. He served as Director of Art for Pierre High School from 1953 until 1957, then was appointed Assistant Professor of Fine Arts, Artist-in-Residence, and Assistant Director of the W. H. Over Museum at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. He was appointed Lecturer to the Near East and South Asia by the United States Department of State in 1971. During his tour, he presented programs in nine countries. He designed panels for the Mitchell Corn Palace from 1948 to 1971. Oscar Howe and John "Leonard" Jennewein was a friend and colleague of Howe at DWU. Howe's daughter believes the two were reacquainted when Oscar was working on the Corn Palace during summers in Mitchell (when Jennewein was still teaching at DWU), and this blossomed into a close friendship. Oscar Howe retired from the University in 1980 and was named Professor Emeritus of Art, a position he held until his death in 1983.

In 2022, a major exhibition titled "Dakota Modern: The Art of Oscar Howe" opened at the National Museum of the American Indian, New York which reintroduced Howe's work to contemporary audiences. The exhibition subsequently traveled to the Portland Art Museum in Oregon and will be on view at the South Dakota Art Museum at South Dakota State University from June 10, 2023 to September 17, 2023.

Overall good condition. Very pale light-staining. Narrow black tape affixed along all of the sheet edges, verso. The work is hinged to the overmat with two small pieces of white hinging tape at the verso of the upper sheet edge.

Framed under glass: 21" H x 26" W x 1.5" D Condition reports are offered as a courtesy and are typically published in Moran's catalogue or can be made available upon request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of others. Buyers are responsible for determining to their own satisfaction the true nature and condition of any lot prior to bidding. Though buyers are not legally required to inspect lots prior to purchase, failure to do so may constitute a waiver of complaint that an item was not delivered in a condition equal to the existent condition at the auction.