Yee-naaldlooshi

Yee-naaldlooshi, 1973, R.C. Gorman, charcoal portrait study capturing a Navajo elder with striking expressive power. The head-and-shoulders composition shows traditional braided hair or headwrap arrangement, with Gorman’s characteristic bold charcoal technique creating rich tonal contrasts and dimensional modeling of facial features. The subject’s dignified gaze and lined face convey experience and wisdom. Gorman’s mastery of charcoal—employing both fine hatching and broad gestural marks—produces a piece rich in personality and presence. The gestural quality of the drawing style reflects Gorman’s training and his ability to capture the essence of his subjects with economy of line and depth of character. A significant work for collectors of Navajo portraiture, charcoal fine art, and documented contemporary Native American art from the 1970s.