Autry Museum acquires works of Henry Fonseca
Los Angeles’ Autry Museum of the American West has acquired the estate of renowned Native American artist Henry Fonseca, increasing its collection by several hundred pieces, including many never seen before.
Museum officials said Monday the acquisition includes 19 large-scale murals, 69 sketchbooks, a selection of prints, posters, collages and other works, and all of Fonseca’s journals.
Fonseca’s works have been exhibited in museums around the country, including the Smithsonian.
They often draw upon his Northern California Nisenan Maidu heritage, depicting colorful, abstract scenes containing recognizable images.
Better known works include California’s Gold Rush and The Coyote, the latter a colorful “trickster” he often inserted into various situations.
Fonseca died in 2006.
The Autry was founded in 1988 by movie cowboy-singer Gene Autry to celebrate art of the American West.
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