Joan Hill Cheyenne Muscogee Creek Original Painting Native Family Portrait Appraisal

Joan Hill (Cheyenne-Muscogee Creek) Original Painting: Native Family Portrait

This is an original flatstyle painting on canvas or board by the renowned Native American artist Joan Hill (Cheyenne-Muscogee Creek, 1930–2020), dated 1974. The work depicts a Muscogee Creek family in stylized traditional and colonial-influenced attire. The composition features a male figure holding a long rifle, a central seated female figure in a high-backed chair, and two children. Hill utilizes a distinctive 'Oklahoma Flatstyle' aesthetic characterized by bold outlines, a limited color palette of earthy reds, ochre, and stark whites, and a lack of depth or shadows. The upper portion shows a dark terracotta-red band representing the sky with a minimalist house and tree under a full moon. The painting is signed 'Joan Hill Che-a-se-quah 74' in the lower-left corner. The piece is encased in a simple black frame. The condition appears stable for its age, though there is some light visible surface wear on the frame edges and possible minor discoloration on the large white expanse of the figures' garments typical of aging oil or acrylic. The craftsmanship reflects Hill's mastery of the Cherokee/Creek illustrative tradition, showcasing tight line-work and a monumental quality that emphasizes tribal dignity and historical transition.