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Western and Contemporary Native American Art
|
- Sale 1331
Live
| Denver
May 9 | 10:00 AM MDT
Live
| Denver
Sale 1331
| Denver
| Denver
Estimate$8,000 – $12,000
Provenance:
Sold: Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers, Milford, Connecticut, October, 2010, Lot 106
One of Hermon Atkins MacNeil’s most celebrated Native American sculptures, and the one that brought him early fame, A Primitive Chant to the Great Spirit celebrates the mystical experience of a Sioux warrior Black Pipe. MacNeil had first seen Black Pipe performing at Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. The artist found him freezing on the street that winter, took him in, and hired him as a model. Black Pipe remained MacNeil’s model and assistant for almost two years.
In 1895, the artist toured the Southwest with famed Western author Hamlin Garland as his guide, finding inspiration for other great Native American bronzes such as Moqui Runner and The Sun Vow. Later that year, MacNeil became the recipient of a Rineheart scholarship that allowed him, along with his wife, sculptor Carol Brooks MacNeil, to study in Rome. As a result of this opportunity, a greater sense of classical form enters Macneil’s work, though he continued to prefer Indigenous subjects. MacNeil’s successes led him to a long, stable career as a creator of public monuments and commissions, including the design for the Standing Liberty quarter, minted from 1916 to 1930, and considered one of the most beautiful United States coins.
This rare early cast of A Primitive Chant to the Great Spirit exhibits all the ecstatic power of the vision MacNeil witnessed, the vision Black Pipe described. What makes it such a powerful and in some ways modern work, is that Black Pipe’s face is mostly obscured by his own arm. No matter how you move around it, the figure seems to twist away from you, as if he is in his own world, his own realm, one you are privileged to witness but cannot fully enter. Only the toes of Black Pipe’s left foot touch the earth while his right leg is in the air, bent at the knee. It is as if his chant has all but lifted him from the earth and from this plane of reality. The title may include the word “primitive” but MacNeil seems to mean something more, something related to the Great Sprit, a connection “civilization” is severed from. This feeling is what makes the work so wonderful. You can turn and return to it again and again and yet you can never quite know what Black Pipe “sees” or what he feels and knows.
-James Balestrieri
To request further details about this lot, please email [email protected]
Alexandria Dreas
Specialist, Head of Sale, Western and Contemporary Native American Art
Overall good, stable condition; no detected cracks, breaks or repairs; light surface dust; some superficial scuffs visible along base, commensurate with age and shelf life; inherent variance visible throughout patina. Please request additional images.
Please contact the Western Art department at [email protected] for any additional information or questions you may have regarding this lot. The absence of any reference to the condition of a lot does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or free from wear, imperfections or evidence of aging. All lots are sold “AS IS”. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to the client, is an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Hindman Auctions shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
The physical condition of lots in our auctions can vary due to age, normal wear and tear, previous damage, and restoration/repair. All lots are sold "AS IS," in the condition they are in at the time of the auction, and we and the seller make no representation or warranty and assume no liability of any kind as to a lot's condition. Any reference to condition in a catalogue description or a condition report shall not amount to a full accounting of condition. Condition reports prepared by Freeman's staff are provided as a convenience and may be requested from the Department prior to bidding.
The absence of a posted condition report on the Freeman's website or in our catalogues should not be interpreted as commentary on an item's condition. Prospective buyers are responsible for inspecting a lot or sending their agent or conservator to inspect the lot on their behalf, and for ensuring that they have requested, received and understood any condition report provided by Freeman's.
Please email [email protected] for any additional information or questions you may have regarding this lot.
