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Title: Doc Tate Nevaquaya The Flutist Original Painting Comanche Native American Art
Condition:
Very good vintage condition. The artwork has remained professionally framed under glass since its original acquisition and presents beautifully. The substantial black frame and elaborate multi-layer matting show minor age-related wear. The paper dust cover on the reverse has tears and deterioration from age; this does not appear to affect the artwork. Please review photographs closely for condition.
Description:
Doc Tate Nevaquaya (1932–1996) — The Flutist
Striking original painting by celebrated Comanche artist and master Native American flute player Doc Tate Nevaquaya.
The large composition depicts a Native American flutist seated on horseback overlooking a camp at dusk, rendered in Nevaquaya's distinctive silhouette style against a softly graduated sky. Fine painted details appear throughout the landscape, vegetation, horse, rider and foreground.
The work is signed “Doc Tate Nevaquaya” within the painting.
DIRECT-FROM-THE-ARTIST PROVENANCE
This work was purchased directly from Doc Tate Nevaquaya by the seller's parents while attending Red Earth in Oklahoma, approximately the late 1980s.
According to the original purchaser, her husband heard Nevaquaya performing the Native American flute at the event and was deeply impressed by his music. He subsequently purchased The Flutist directly from Nevaquaya.
Following the purchase, Nevaquaya arranged for the artwork to be professionally framed and shipped to the purchasers. The painting has remained in the same family continuously since that original acquisition.
The exact purchase year is not documented; the late-1980s date is based upon family recollection.
ORIGINAL PRESENTATION
The painting remains in the substantial professional framing arranged following its purchase from Nevaquaya.
The presentation features a black frame with an elaborate, multi-layer architectural mat treatment in complementary black, muted red and metallic/gold tones.
The reverse retains a Wright's Frame Shop & Gallery, Inc. label. The original paper dust cover remains on the back but has torn and deteriorated with age. It has been left in place rather than disturbed.
Approximate overall framed dimensions: 28 × 32 inches.
The work has not been removed from the original framing for examination. The precise paint medium has therefore not been independently verified. No separate certificate of authenticity accompanies the painting. Attribution and provenance are based upon the signed artwork and the original purchaser's firsthand history.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Doc Tate Nevaquaya (1932–1996) was a noted Comanche painter and one of the most important figures in the revival of traditional Native American flute music. His relationship with the flute extended beyond his artwork: Nevaquaya was himself an acclaimed flute maker and performer and received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1986.
That history makes the flute imagery in The Flutist particularly meaningful within Nevaquaya's body of work.
DETAILS
Artist: Doc Tate Nevaquaya (1932–1996)
Title: The Flutist
Date: Circa late 1980s
Origin: Oklahoma, USA
Culture/Artist Heritage: Comanche
Type: Original painting
Signature: Signed “Doc Tate Nevaquaya”
Subject: Native American flutist on horseback / camp landscape
Framed: Yes
Overall Size: Approximately 28 × 32 inches
Provenance: Purchased directly from the artist; single-family ownership since acquisition
Framing: Arranged following the original purchase from the artist
A particularly compelling Nevaquaya work combining a subject central to the artist's own life with unusually strong direct-from-the-artist provenance.
