John Nieto
1936-2018
Corn Dancer
stained glass
inscribed lower right: nieto estate signature
verso: nieto estate signature
59 1/4 x 35 1/4 in.; With Frame: 69 1/4 x 45 1/4 x 1 3/4 in.; With Base: 73 3/4 x 50 3/4 x 24 in.

Provenance:
Estate of John Nieto
From a Private Collection

In the early to mid-1980s, during a period of profound artistic confidence and experimentation, John Nieto pursued an ambitious evolution of his visual language. Widely celebrated for his explosive Fauvist palette and masterful acrylic compositions, Nieto sought to transcend the reflective qualities of paint on canvas. His intention was radical yet intuitive: to allow his
signature color not merely to capture light, but to become light itself.

This vision culminated in a rare and historically significant collaboration with master artisans
Ken and John Toney of Scottsdale Stained-Glass Works. Nieto painstakingly translated his
original acrylic compositions into full-scale, hand-rendered technical drawings. Each section of
glass was individually selected to replicate the vibrational intensity of his brushwork - not
through pigment, but through the inherent luminosity of colored glass.

The process spanned months of meticulous craftsmanship. Of the five monumental
stained-glass works created during this brief but extraordinary chapter, only three are known to
survive today. Corn Dancer stands among these exceedingly rare works.

Unlike many works that circulated through galleries during his lifetime, Corn Dancer remained within John Nieto’s private residence for approximately a decade, installed in the master bedroom of his home. Its placement speaks to the deeply personal resonance the piece held for the artist and his family.

The stained glass, wood frame and base all appear to be in very good condition.