Krystii Melaine, “Mi’kisspiksisoka’sim-Red Coat, Blackfeet,” oil, 20 x 34 inches ($11,900)

In this occasional series, Fine Art Today delves into the world of portraiture, highlighting historical and contemporary examples of superb quality and skill. This week we look at a contemporary masterwork that could soon land in your collection.

On Friday night (September 22, 2017) at the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, a wonderful portrait of Blackfoot hunter Red Coat could be your next great acquisition. Painted by contemporary master Krystii Melaine, the picture is a powerful, intimate look into how Native Americans are keeping their heritage and traditions alive. In the work, Red Coat has paused to listen during his pursuit of game. A lance, bow and arrows, and his reliable horse are all he has — plenty to provide for his growing family.

“I enjoy pushing realism into a dissolving interplay of brushstrokes,” says the artist, “with a hint of landscape expressed as abstract bands of subtle colors.” Indeed, the patchy strokes create a patterned effect across the canvas, vibrating the surface and giving it life.

The Buffalo Bill Art Auction is still accepting last-minute online bidding, but interested parties must act before Friday, September 22 at 4 p.m.  To learn more about this piece or view other available lots, visit the Buffalo Bill Art Auction.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.


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Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster is the former Editor of Fine Art Today and worked as an editorial and creative marketing assistant for Streamline Publishing. Andrew graduated from The University of North Carolina at Asheville with a B.A. in Art History and Ceramics. He then moved on to the University of Oregon, where he completed an M.A. in Art History. Studying under scholar Kathleen Nicholson, he completed a thesis project that investigated the peculiar practice of embedded self-portraiture within Christian imagery during the 15th and early 16th centuries in Italy.

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