Among the Moki Indians – The Snake-Dance

Among The Moki Indians The Snake Dance is a hand colored lithograph that gives the viewer a rare glimpse into the past of an ancient Hopi ritual that has all but disappeared.  The dancers dressed in their ritual attire and face paint are moving in a line and the lead dancer is leaning over a snake. The spectators are sitting and standing in the court yard and on the Pueblo steps. This original wood engraving published by Harper’s Weekly  is hand colored. There is a small tear in upper margin/center fold other wise in very good condition.

Harvey Fernand Lungreen ( 1856 – 1919 ) was born in Ohio of Swedish parents. At the age of 19 he enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, where he studied under the famous American artist Thomas Eakins (1844-1916). As a painter and illustrator he became known for his paintings of American South Western landscapes and scenes (California, New Mexico, Arizona) as well as for New York and European city street scenes. He was famous for his vibrantly colored paintings of the Southern California desert, especially in the Death Valley and Mojave Desert area. He also worked as an illustrator for Scribners Monthly ( later known as Century ) , Harpers Bazaar. McClures and The Outlook.