San Ildefonso school facts for kids

The San Ildefonso school was a group of Native American artists. They were mostly from the San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico. This art movement lasted from about 1900 to 1935.

This group was the first known Native American art group in the American Southwest to use easels for painting. Key artists included Tonita Peña, Julian Martinez, and Awa Tsireh.

History of the Art School

The San Ildefonso school was active from 1900 to 1935. The year 1917 was very important for their art. Many art experts agree that a lot of great work was made then.

These artists used traditional Native American ideas in their art. But they created it mainly to sell to non-Native people. They could not sell their artwork until the 1920s. Tonita Peña was the first artist from this group to become famous.

How the Artists Started

In 1900, a teacher named Esther Hoyt worked at the San Ildefonso Day School. She was not Native American. She taught Native students how to paint on easels. She told them to "paint as they wished." This was against the rules of the government at the time. The school was run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Ms. Hoyt gave the students art supplies. She told them to draw about their daily lives. She gave watercolors to a young Tonita Peña when she was a student. Other students included Crecencio Martinez and Awa Tsireh. Even though they took classes, these artists are often called "self-taught."

Support for Native Artists

Edgar Lee Hewett was a professor and museum director in Santa Fe. He worked with people from the San Ildefonso Pueblo in the early 1900s. He said he "discovered" their talent for drawing and watercolor painting.

Mr. Hewett encouraged these Native American artists to create art. He also helped them find people who would buy their work. This support helped the artists financially.

What Their Artwork Looked Like

Most of the San Ildefonso school's paintings were on paper. They often showed people and focused on Pueblo dances. They also painted koshares (sacred clowns) and ceremonies. Scenes from daily life were also common.

The backgrounds in their paintings were very simple or not there at all. The artists used black and white colors. They also used bright, flat colors. They added special designs often seen in other Pueblo art. These designs appeared in pottery, wall paintings, and embroidery. The artists used watercolors, and also paints made from milk, called distemper and casein.

San Ildefonso School Artists