Native American Art Shines at Auction, Breaks Records

Native American paintings were the stars of Hindman’s Western & Contemporary Native American Art auction, led by Fritz Scholder’s Hollywood Indian and Horse #2, which set a new auction record for the artist, after selling for $500,000.

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith’s Firewood painting, the second top lot, sold for $350,000 against an estimate of $10,000-$20,000, setting a new record for the artist. David Bradley’s 2008 Sleeping Indian, Shiprock / Santa Fe also set a new auction record for the artist after fetching $50,000.

"Hollywood Indian and Horse #2" by Fritz Scholder, 1973, set a new auction record after selling for $500,000. — “Hollywood Indian and Horse #2” by Fritz Scholder, 1973, set a new auction record after selling for $500,000.

Courtesy of Hindman

Hindman’s May 19 sale overall significantly surpassed its estimate, achieving $3.9 million.

Scholder’s Hollywood Indian and Horse #2 skyrocketed past its presale estimate of $50,000-$70,000 to achieve the record. Six other paintings by Luiseño artist Scholder were in the auction’s Top 10 lots, including his 1979 acrylic on canvas work, Portrait, 1896, which sold for more than ten times its pre-sale estimate to fetch $275,000; Drunk Indian #1 from 1972, which sold for $250,000; Indian with Bird Head Dress, also from 1972, which sold $156,250; Lady R, which sold for $93,750 against a presale estimate of $15,000 to $20,000; and Indian With White Ribbon, which sold for $87,500 against an estimate of $5,0000 to $7,000.

A trio of works by Smith (Salish/Métis/Shoshone) saw intense bidding and commanded top prices. In addition to Fireweed, her KalispillSeries from 1980 sold for $34,375 and Reclaiming the Land, Folk Botanists for $31,240.

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith’s “Fireweed” set a new auction record for the artist after selling for $350,000.

Courtesy of Hindman

Additional contemporary Native American art highlights also saw outstanding prices: John Nieto’s Oklahoma Feather Dancer sold for $37,500; Alan Houser’s bronze sculpture titled Chiricahua Love Song sold for $34,375; and Earl Biss’s Mountain Camp fetched $46,875.

Classic Western art top performers included Frederic Remington’s “The Hold-Up,” which sold for $250,000; Joseph Henry Sharp’s Fiesta Day (Squaw Winter, Crow Reservation – Montana), which sold for $150,000; and Ernest Martin Hennings’ Indian Riders, which got $46,875.

For more results, visit Hindman.

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Tags: Collectible