Featured Godfrey Broken Rope painting of Little Big Horn

Found this painting by Godfrey Broken Rope, 1908-1989, Brule Sioux/Lakota (so say online sources). He had a somewhat sad but interesting life (https://www.city-data.com/forum/people-search/8004-godfrey-broken-rope.html). An image search for his paintings shows only rather flat landscapes, which he apparently produced a lot of, probably because those were salable to the general public: "Godfrey Broken Rope was a preacher, as well as a painter. He used to paint primarily landscapes on some type of fiberboard as he gave his testimony, having been an alcoholic prior to his conversion experience."

Also found this justanswer citation (https://www.justanswer.com/appraisals/7i534-original-painting-story-little-big-horn.html) to a painting similar to the one I found. Pictograms in a loop with translation on back. Unfortunately the links don't work, but mine is not the same painting since there are differences (size and mine has his writing on the back rather than on a typed sheet). Does anyone know anything beyond the citations I found? Does anyone think the appraisal ($750-1000) is relevant?

 

Bumping with a photo of the artist I found here: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12467539

 

Hi Jeff, my name is Justis Broken Rope and I am the great grandson of Godfrey Brokenrope. Please reach out to me if you see this message, I would like to talk to you about this painting.

 

@Jeff Drum

 

Hi, great to see your post. I was fascinated with this piece when I first saw it. Can you tell me anything more about it?

 

Sure, I would like to. Please reply back to my PM in your inbox and we can continue the conversation, thanks!

 

I also have a painting by Godfrey Broken Rope and it is in the same style of frame as the one shown in this post. Please feel free to reply.

 

is this some kinda secret thread??

or is this just buying and selling behind closed doors...

 

No secrets here. This is the only post I’ve made on this site that I’ve actually gotten three different PMs about, interested in buying. But I am a collector, not a dealer (unlike many of the frequent dealers here who only seem interested in antiques for the amount they can sell them for), and I like this piece, so I haven’t tried to work out a deal. To be fair, no one has thrown around any cash offers, just general interest, so not at all clear what the value is to them anyway.

As to what I’ve learned, one of the posts included some info that they didn’t post here, but I hope and trust they won’t be offended if I include it here:

“Much of his life was spent in SD, but as you've picked up from the other messageboard, he traveled quite a bit and was seen all over the midwest and southwest. My dad told me that he used to use big wooster style brushes on his landscape paintings, which always seemed remarkable to me considering the detail that went into them, and he could paint them very quickly. I have also been told there is a hotel somewhere in Montana that also has his paintings all over inside, though I have never been and am not certain which city. Hopefully someday!”

I had hoped that I could let him know where that hotel was, but couldn’t find it. If anyone can, I’m sure he would be pleased. What I did find instead, is that he had painted murals in Duhamel trading post in Rapid City, SD. Those murals are the same subject matter as my painting, Custer’s last stand from a Native American perspective. The wall size murals were removed when the store was closed, and became part of the permanent Duhamel collection at the Journey Museum in Rapid City. There is a personal travel blog about it here: http://quinnsawesomejourney.blogspot.com/2011/06/6162011-journey-museum.html

So that’s all I know, maybe new member MGKL will add some pics of her painting here?

 

This painting was purchased on an estate sale in central Nebraska. I do not know what area it depicts, can only guess Colorado, Wyoming or maybe Montana (not Nebraska!!). It is in excellent condition other than one very small and not deep scratch which appears in one of the photos. Very nice painting.

 

I have a couple that I inherited from my grandfather - with a story about them

 

Ummm, Mike......u don't get to say that without telling us all the story !!!!!!!

Spill the beans !!!

 

I am trying to show two pieces that he did, but I need to reduce the file size for this site.

 

My grandfather apparently ran into this “indian” doing or selling paintings in a grocery store parking lot in Billings, MT.
60’s or 70’s I am guessing.

 

You might want to copy and save this for reference for a while....it helps when you're new!!!

For Future reference, when posting images:

Each image MUST be UNDER 1 MB....
There are instructions on site here on how to reduce the size of your image, if that is the problem......you are allowed up to 10 images per post!!! Here are some links to the instructions:

Try emailing them to yourself as "medium" size, they should then be under 1 MB!

If on the computer:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/posting-a-thread-and-uploading-pictures.15990/

If on an iPhone:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/resizing-photos-on-i-phone.35097/

And if on an Android phone:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/using-an-android-phone-for-pics-on-antiquers.41709/

As an added note, when you have your photos LISTED, BUT BEFORE you hit POST, please click on the wording that says to "INSERT EVERY IMAGE AS FULL IMAGE" !! That way, we're not clicking on little thumbnails, but get to see all of the images full sized!! Thanks! Remember, it takes a bit for MOST new members to get the hang of it, but it's really quite simple once you get used to it!!!" If you still have questions, DON'T hesitate to ASK!!!!

 

Went through my email so that I could reduce the size. Ha!

 

If anyone is interested in selling any work done by my great grandfather or happen to come across anything from my grandfather, Alvin BrokenRope, I'd really be interested in buying these pieces!