FRITZ SCHOLDER (LUISENO-AMERICAN 1937-2005) Man and Dog, #9 1992 oil on canvas 77 x 101.5 cm (30 1/4 x 40 in.) framed dimensions: 81.5 x 106.5 cm (32 x 42 in.) signed lower right PROVENANCE Riva Yares Gallery, New York, NY (label on verso) Collection of Dr. Abner Delman, Santa Fe, NM, and Sarasota, FL LOT NOTES Fritz Scholder remains one of the most influential and collectible Native American artists of the 20th century-celebrated for his radical, unflinching depictions of Indigenous life that defied both stereotype and expectation. With a style that bridged Expressionism, Pop Art, and Realism, Scholder’s work subverted romanticized representations of Native peoples and introduced a new, confrontational visual language to American art. Born in Breckenridge, Minnesota in 1937 and an enrolled member of the Luiseño tribe, Scholder was academically trained in fine art and mentored by notable figures such as Wayne Thiebaud. After studying at Sacramento State University and later earning an MFA from the University of Arizona, he emerged in the 1960s as a leading figure in the so-called “New American Indian Art Movement.” His teaching at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe would spark a generational shift - empowering young Indigenous artists to question colonial aesthetics and assert modern, self-defined identities. In Man and Dog, #9 (1992), the composition presents a stylized nude figure in motion, lunging forward with an almost mythic sense of purpose, paralleled by a running dog. Both are suspended against a vast, stark field of black and deep ultramarine - a twilight zone where physical form meets psychological depth. The figure, painted in icy whites and blues, evokes ghostly vulnerability, while the dog - rendered with sharp, expressive markings. Characteristic of Scholder’s mature work, the painting employs flat color fields and exaggerated anatomy to heighten emotion and symbolic meaning. Here, the man and the dog become emblems: of pursuit, of survival, of loyalty, of the fragile boundary between civilization and instinct. The minimalist background sharpens the emotional tension between the two figures, focusing the viewer’s attention on movement, gesture, and the charged space between them. Over the course of his career, Scholder achieved significant critical and commercial success. His works are held in major institutions including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Walker Art Center. Solo exhibitions at the National Museum of the American Indian and the Denver Art Museum further cemented his reputation as a transformative cultural figure. ADDITIONAL NOTES Dr. Abner Joseph Delman, a distinguished cardiologist and dedicated advocate for Holocaust education, passed away at the age of 93. Born in 1930, Dr. Delman graduated from Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, in 1955. He devoted his medical career to the field of cardiovascular disease, practicing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Sarasota, Florida. Beyond his medical practice, he was known for his passion for art, his love of chocolate, and his gentle and generous nature. Dr. Delman was married for 45 years to Ilse-Lore Delman, a Holocaust survivor who spent three years in hiding during World War II. In 1998, Ilse recorded her testimony with the USC Shoah Foundation, and the couple became actively involved with the organization. Following Ilse's passing in 2018, Dr. Delman established the Dr. Abner J. and Ilse Delman Fund in memory of Ilse and her parents, Ernest and Erna Nathan. This endowment supports the Institute’s education, research, and collections programs, ensuring that stories like Ilse’s are preserved and shared with the world.