The Cave Wall

David Chethlahe Paladin

About The The Cave Wall

Unsigned paintings occur when an artist simply neglects to apply their signature.

Unsigned paintings occur when a painting is unfinished, as artists often sign works upon completion.

As Cave Wall is titled and dated on verso, it is unlikely the artist considered it unfinished.

Unsigned works often are priced less than comparable artworks bearing the artist's signature.

Cave Wall relates easily to another of Paladin's paintings, an untitled cave wall painting, in both subject matter and in paint application.

About David Chethlahe Paladin

(1926-1984) Painting the Dream: the Visionary Art of Navajo Painter David Chethlahe Paladin was published in 1992 by the artist's widow, Lynda Paladin. This artist credited Marc Chagall, Mark Tobey and Morris Graves as influencing his approach to painting as well as how he treated his subject matter.

The Huichol Indians' work also impacted the appearance of his art. For 2 1/2 years Paladin was a prisoner of war, released finally at Dachau in a near coma state.

In 1975 Newsweek cited him as the nation's "leading Navajo modern artist". The Santa Fean magazine named him Artist of the Year in 1981.

Major exhibitions of his work have taken place at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth (1966), at the Heard Museum (1967, 1975), at the William Penn Memorial Museum in Pittsburgh (1969), at the Albuquerque Museum (1975, 1985), at the American Indian Art Center in New York (1975), at the Navajo Tribal Museum in Window Rock, Arizona (1984), at the San Diego Museum of Man (1985) and at the Museum of Art at the University of Arizona in Tucson (1988).

Other Works By David Chethlahe Paladin:

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Cultures

American Indian, Navajo

Medium

Paintings

Subject

Southwestern

Keywords

David Paladin, Chethlahe, Navajo painting