Skip to main content

Photography by Edward C. Robison III.

Mimbres Man and Rabbit

Helen Hardin centered a small rabbit and a man in stylized dress within a detailed circular border. Hardin frequently adapted patterns and animal imagery from Mimbres pottery designs she saw in present-day New Mexico. Her interest in detailed line work and patterns may have resulted from her commitment to finding a signature painting style and distinguishing herself from her mother, artist Pablita Velarde (whose work is on view nearby).

ArtistTsa-sah-wee-eh (Helen Hardin), Santa Clara Pueblo, 1943–1984
Date1981
MediumAcrylic on board
Dimensions21 1/2 x 21 1/2 in.
Signedl.r.: Tsa-sah-wee-eh (c) 1981
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2020.65
ClassificationPainting
Provenance(Fusco Auctions, Cleveland, OH); Bruce Hartman, Prairie Village, KS; purchased by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2020
On ViewNo
Mimbres Man and Rabbit21.5 × 21.5 in.Tennis Ball2.7 in. diameter

This artwork's face covers about 63× the area of a tennis ball.Drawn to the same scale.