JOHN STEELE, (20TH CENTURY, AMERICAN),JOHN STEELE, (20TH CENTURY, AMERICAN), "RAMONA LUBO," 1986, OIL ON CANVAS, 40" H X 30" WJohn Steele, (20th Century, American) "Ramona Lubo," 1986 Oil on canvas Signed, dated and inscribed lower right: John Steele ©/ RNO; titled on the frame plaque; variant title from an exhibition brochure attached to the frame verso: "Ramona Lubo and Star Basket" 40" H x 30" W Provenance: Collection of the artist The James M. Cole Collection, Visalia, CA, acquired from the above Literature: Christopher L. Moser, "Native American Basketry of Southern California" (Riverside, CA: Riverside Museum Press, 1993), iii. Notes: This painting serves as the frontispiece for Christopher L. Moser's book, "Native American Basketry of Southern California," which was the catalogue for the exhibition "Coils in Time: A Century of Southern California Indian Basketmakers and Their Baskets" at the Riverside Municipal Museum, Riverside, CA, October 12, 1992-May 30, 1993. This lot is accompanied by a collection of signed preparatory sketches for the painting, photographs of the individuals and basket shown in the painting, correspondence between the artist and collector, documents relating to museum loans, and other ephemera. One such item, most likely written in conjunction with the 1992-93 Riverside Municipal Museum exhibition where the star basket was shown, states that the "... large oil by John Steele portrays the famous Cahuilla basket weaver, Ramona Lubo, and significant elements of her life. The brutal killing of her husband, Juan Diego, in 1877, by Sam Temple, is shown here along with her famous funeral basket which she made and prayed to so that she might join Juan. The faces were taken from old photos of the individuals involved, and the circumstances surrounding this killing became a permanent part of California history as told in the book "Ramona" by Helen Hunt Jackson. The book was designed to arouse some compassion in the hearts of the citizens of the U.S.A. for the plight of the American Indian, in the hopes that their exploitation could be reversed." Oil on canvas Dimensions: 40" H x 30" W Provenance: Collection of the artist The James M. Cole Collection, Visalia, CA, acquired from the above
