The Magic Deer Song

Details

BERT GEER PHILLIPS (1868-1956)
The Magic Deer Song
signed 'Phillips.' (lower right)
oil on board
20 1⁄2 x 20 1⁄2 in. (52.1 x 52.1 cm.)
Painted by 1926.

Provenance

The artist.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr., New York, acquired from the above, 1926.
Estate of the above, 1960.
David Rockefeller and Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1961.
The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, 1973.
Gift to the present owner from the above.

Literature

P.T. Furst, American Indian Art and Paintings by Taos Artists: The David and Peggy Rockefeller Collection, New York, 1988, pp. 379-80, no. 254, illustrated.
J. Barnitz, et al., The David and Peggy Rockefeller Collection: Volume II: Art of the Western Hemisphere, New York, 1988, pp. 379-80, no. 254, illustrated.

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

Beyond his role as one of America's leading Taos painters, Bert Geer Phillips dedicated much of his life to advocating for Native American rights. The Magic Deer Song represents the artist's affection for Indian culture and is painted in the romantic style that garnered him national recognition during his lifetime by both museums and private collectors alike. Indeed, the present work was acquired directly from the artist by John D. Rockefeller Jr., and hung in his Seal Harbor, Maine house for 92 years, alongside a magnificent collection paintings by Taos artists as well as Native American-made art, rugs and artifacts.

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