Lot 1101

Oscar Howe (1915-1983, Yanktonai Dakota), "Sioux Mother and Child," 1963

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Lot 1101
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Oscar Howe (1915-1983, Yanktonai Dakota), "Sioux Mother and Child," 1963
Oscar Howe (1915-1983, Yanktonai Dakota), "Sioux Mother and Child," 1963
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Oscar Howe (1915-1983, Yanktonai Dakota), "Sioux Mother and Child," 1963

Estimate: $100,000 - $150,000

Starting Bid: $50,000

(0 Bids)
by John Moran Auctioneers
June 30, 2026 10:00 AM PDT
Live Auction
145 East Walnut Avenue
Monrovia, CA, US 91016

Oscar Howe
(1915-1983, Yanktonai Dakota)
"Sioux Mother and Child," 1963
Casein on paper
Signed lower left: Oscar Howe

  • Provenance:
    The artist
    Private collection, Chicago, IL, purchased from the above in Mitchell, SD, 1965
    Private collection, Virginia, acquired from the above by descent
  • Dimensions: Image: 20" H x 19" W; Sheet: 21.625" H x 20.75" W
  • Exhibited:
    Grand Island, NE, Butler County Historical Society, 1965
  • Medium: Casein on paper
  • Notes:
    This lot is accompanied by the original typed letter from Oscar Howe regarding "Sioux Mother and Child," in which he states that he will "hold" the painting as the recipients had expressed interest in acquiring the work, and notes that the painting is ready for shipment along with additional information related to the piece. The letter is signed in black ink by Oscar Howe and dated September 20, 1965.

    Additionally, this work is accompanied by a transcription created by the current owners (husband and wife) of "Sioux Mother and Child," documenting a conversation with the husband's mother, the previous owner of the work before it was passed down to them, regarding how she came to know Oscar Howe and acquire some of his artworks. Lastly, copies of additional supporting documentation accompany this lot.

    In 1958, the Yanktonai Dakota artist Oscar Howe submitted his painting "Umine Wacipi" ("War and Peace Dance") to the Annual Indian Art competition at the Philbrook Art Center. Bold, abstract, and highly experimental, the work departed drastically from the stylistic conventions that had come to define "traditional Indian" painting within the exhibition. Rather than adhering to the flat colors and illustrative compositions associated with the "Studio Style," in which he trained during his early years at the Santa Fe Indian School, Howe employed fractured forms and dynamic movement to create a strikingly modern visual language rooted in Dakota cultural expression. The jurors rejected the painting, claiming it did not conform to their guidelines. In response, Howe wrote a letter to the museum's curator of Native American art, Jeanne Snodgrass, defending both his artistic vision and the broader creative autonomy of Indigenous artists. As Howe asserted, "There is much more to Indian Art than pretty, stylized pictures… Are we to be held back forever with one phase of Indian painting, with no right for individualism, dictated to as the Indian always has been, put on reservations, and treated like a child, and only the White Man knows what is best for him? Now, even in Art" (Dockstader et al., 1982, p. 19). His words not only articulated a powerful challenge to the restrictive expectations placed upon Native artists, but also addressed the political and governmental treatment of Native people more broadly, marking a pivotal moment in the emergence of a modern, self-determined vision of Indigenous art.

    Born on May 13, 1915, on a reservation in South Dakota, Oscar Howe showed an early affinity for art. Often discouraged by his parents, he nonetheless grew closer to art, especially after a severe skin condition forced him indoors for extended periods. Howe later attended the Pierre Indian School, operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where he endured harsh treatment, and his health challenges only intensified. Returning to the reservation to recover physically and mentally, he spent many hours with his grandmother, Shell Face, who taught him tribal symbols, designs, cultural traditions, and stories of their ancestors. These lessons became deeply ingrained in Howe, providing a wellspring of inspiration that he would draw upon throughout his life, and which profoundly shaped his artistic sensibility.

    Howe later received formal training at the Santa Fe Indian School under Dorothy Dunn, gaining technical foundations while encountering the rigid "Studio Style," characterized by flat, stylized depictions of ceremonial and historical subjects. Yet this style proved too limiting for his imaginative ambition. Even as a student, Howe absorbed modernist currents circulating in the broader American art world, integrating principles of abstraction and expressive linework with motifs drawn from Dakota culture. This synthesis of tradition and innovation would define his artistic trajectory and set him apart from his contemporaries. He found himself at the intersection of two worlds: the presentation of traditional cultural forms and inspiration from modernist and Romanticist currents, reflecting the social and political transformations of the era.

    Howe created casein paintings from 1955 to 1978, and "Sioux Mother and Child," 1963, reflects a more contemplative dimension of the artist's mature style. Centered upon the timeless bond between mother and child, the composition conveys tenderness, protection, and spiritual connection through a carefully orchestrated arrangement of curvilinear forms and harmonious color. Unlike many traditional depictions of motherhood that rely upon naturalistic detail, Howe distills his subjects into simplified yet expressive shapes, allowing emotion to emerge through composition and rhythm rather than literal representation. The mother gently cradles her child within an enveloping circular structure that dominates the composition, creating a sense of shelter and security. Soft blues, greens, and warm earth tones flow throughout the work in sweeping, interconnected forms, reinforcing the feeling of unity between the figures and their surroundings. Through this synthesis of abstraction and cultural symbolism, Howe transforms a deeply personal moment into a universal meditation on care, family, and the continuity of Dakota life.

    Throughout his career, Howe's contributions were widely recognized. He taught at the University of South Dakota, shaping generations of artists, while relentlessly championing the modernist innovation that would come to define his legacy.

    Today, Oscar Howe's work stands as a powerful expression of both cultural identity and artistic innovation. While celebrated for his dynamic interpretations of Dakota ceremonies and traditions, Howe was equally capable of exploring intimate human experiences with remarkable sensitivity. In "Sioux Mother and Child," he captures a moment of quiet affection and enduring connection, elevating a familiar subject into a profound reflection on love, protection, and generational continuity. Through works such as this, Howe demonstrates that Indigenous modernism could encompass both the monumental and the deeply personal, affirming the enduring vitality of Native American art and the richness of Dakota cultural experience.
  • Condition: Overall good appearance. The colors vibrant. An approximately rice-sized area of what appears to be a stray black pencil or casein mark, presumably in the hand of the artist. Occasional specks of glue residue are scattered along the extreme edges of the painted surface. A very unobtrusive thin border of light-staining just outside the image. Each edge of the unpainted margins shows remnants of old adhesive staining, attendant with prior masking tape, with one band of masking tape still intact at the center of the lower edge, all not affecting the image. An approximately 11" horizontal row of slight impressions with related pinpoint-sized holes, presumably from previous stapling, along the left portion of the lower edge of the unpainted margin, not affecting the image, and possibly in the hand of the artist. The extreme edges of the sheet are slightly unevenly trimmed, likely in the artist's hand. The sheet is loose, secured to the back mat with four clear archival corners.

    Framed under glass: 31" H x 29.375" W x 1.625" 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.

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