LUNGREN, Fernand

oil on canvas

82 x 142"

Little is known about The Hopi Snake Dancers, only that it was donated to the Museum in 1984 and arrived rolled up and in a delicate state. A conservation and treatment proposal report from 1999, however, relays some important information about the painting’s condition. Among the findings, was that a previous, unnamed conservator stabilized the fragile painting by covering it with a thin layer of tissue and rabbit skin glue, all of which is removable. This protective measure was necessary considering the paint was unstable and flaking off the surface. An estimated 10% of the painting has been lost due to handling and water damage. Water stains and large areas of paint loss, mostly in the lower half, are most evident on the back of the canvas. The back of the painting also shows how the older, fragile canvas has been re-stretched and adhered to newer linen in order to restore some of its proper shape. While photographs do not exist of the painting’s original appearance, closer inspection reveals some details of the composition. Running along the upper portion of the painting are the silhouettes of a stepped mountain or plateau and a group of people. Faint representations of feathered headdresses on the bodies of 4 dancers can also be distinguished near the lower center of the painting. More difficult to see, in the lower left quadrant of the canvas, is the image of a horse.

1919

LUNGREN, Fernand

b. United States, 1857-1932

Gift of John McGowan

1984.13