Man Hunting at a Seal Hole
61 cms x 45.7 cms (24 ins x 18 ins)
Signed, titled, editioned 30/26, dated may 1959, inscribed "cape dorset, baffin island" and "skin stencil" and stamped by the canadian eskimo art committee and on verso certified by the canadian eskimo art label
printed in 1959
Lot offered for sale by Heffel, Vancouver at the auction event "Spring 2012 Live auction" held on Thu, May 17, 2012.
Lot 018
Lot 018
Estimate: CAD $25,000 - $35,000
Realised: CAD $35,100
Realised: CAD $35,100
Lot description - from the online catalogue*
Provenance:
An Important Private Estate, Montreal
Literature:
James Houston, Cape Dorset, The Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1980, page 11
Gerald McMaster, editor, Inuit Modern: The Samuel and Esther Sarick Collection, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2010, reproduced page 72 and the circa 1950s ink and graphite drawing entitled Man Hunting at a Seal Hole in the Ice, from Niviaksiak Sketchbook, reproduced page 72
Norman Vorano, Inuit Prints: Japanese Inspiration, Early Printmaking in the Canadian Arctic, Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2011, reproduced page 79, titled as Man Hunting at Seal Hole in Ice
Notes:
Inuit peoples at Cape Dorset on West Baffin Island were a hunting society with strong artistic roots - they incised bone and ivory, carved stone and appliquéd skins. In the 1950s, artistic pursuits were a full-time activity for only a few. However, in 1957 a significant development changed that - James Houston introduced printmaking to the community, and it was received with great excitement. Houston called them "the most talented Inuit group that I had ever met." Two years of experimentation followed, and the first collection of their limited edition prints was released in 1959. This is the most sought-after print by important early carver and printmaker Niviaksiak. Iconic and elegant, it depicts the power of a hunter poised to spear a seal through a breathing hole in the ice. The stylized curves of the man's body and the capturing of force in movement are reminiscent of the work of well-known linocut printer Sybil Andrews of the Grosvenor School. Although they would not have been aware of each other, it shows that even in their isolation the Inuit had congruities with a modernist aesthetic.
An Important Private Estate, Montreal
Literature:
James Houston, Cape Dorset, The Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1980, page 11
Gerald McMaster, editor, Inuit Modern: The Samuel and Esther Sarick Collection, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2010, reproduced page 72 and the circa 1950s ink and graphite drawing entitled Man Hunting at a Seal Hole in the Ice, from Niviaksiak Sketchbook, reproduced page 72
Norman Vorano, Inuit Prints: Japanese Inspiration, Early Printmaking in the Canadian Arctic, Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2011, reproduced page 79, titled as Man Hunting at Seal Hole in Ice
Notes:
Inuit peoples at Cape Dorset on West Baffin Island were a hunting society with strong artistic roots - they incised bone and ivory, carved stone and appliquéd skins. In the 1950s, artistic pursuits were a full-time activity for only a few. However, in 1957 a significant development changed that - James Houston introduced printmaking to the community, and it was received with great excitement. Houston called them "the most talented Inuit group that I had ever met." Two years of experimentation followed, and the first collection of their limited edition prints was released in 1959. This is the most sought-after print by important early carver and printmaker Niviaksiak. Iconic and elegant, it depicts the power of a hunter poised to spear a seal through a breathing hole in the ice. The stylized curves of the man's body and the capturing of force in movement are reminiscent of the work of well-known linocut printer Sybil Andrews of the Grosvenor School. Although they would not have been aware of each other, it shows that even in their isolation the Inuit had congruities with a modernist aesthetic.
Most realised prices include the Buyer's Premium of 18-25%, but not the HST/GST Tax.
(*) Text and/or Image might be subject matter of Copyright. Check with Heffel auction house for permission to use.
(*) Text and/or Image might be subject matter of Copyright. Check with Heffel auction house for permission to use.