Navajo Man

Copied Charlie Willeto, Navajo Man, ca. 1960, house paint on carved pine, 29 1454 in. (74.312.710.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.96

Artwork Details

Title
Navajo Man
Date
ca. 1960
Dimensions
29 1454 in. (74.312.710.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums
Mediums Description
house paint on carved pine
Classifications
Keywords
  • Indian — Navajo
  • Figure male — full length
Object Number
1997.124.96

Artwork Description

Charlie Willeto carved sculptures from old boards of sun-weathered pine and exchanged them for groceries at a trading post near his home (Charles Rosenak, Folk Art of the People: Navajo Works, 1987). His wife, Elizabeth, helped him paint these figures to show traditional Navajo clothing and jewelry. The simple shapes and muted colors of the figures reflect the bleak environment around his home in Nageezi, New Mexico.