Fire of the Maple Leaves
$24,500.00
Available
Description
‘Fire of the Maple Leaves’ by Daphne Odjig (1968) – A Masterful Synthesis of Syncretic Iconography, Spiritual Ignition, and Foundational Woodland Art presented by DaVic Gallery of Native Canadian Arts.
Condition : Mild yellowing of the paper visible verso. Mild thinning along the top margin and isolated segments of the left and right margins verso, consistent with historical framing tape removal. A 3-inch diagonal crease is present at the upper right corner of the sheet, away from the core composition.
Description by Artist: No written description by the artist has been located.
Notes from DaVic Gallery:
The Confluence of Two Worlds
Executed in 1968, Fire of the Maple Leaves belongs to a defining, transformative period in Daphne Odjig’s career. Born on the Wikwemikong unceded reserve on Manitoulin Island, Odjig lived her youth at a profound cultural threshold, navigating the intense presence of Catholic missionary images while absorbing traditional Anishinaabe cosmology from her grandfather. This original oil pastel drawing captures the exact historical moment those dual worlds harmonized on paper, producing a rich cross-cultural visual dialogue.
The Sacred Metamorphosis of the Ginebig
Through a highly sophisticated lens, Odjig breaks away from traditional European conventions by reframing the Western concept of the biblical “Fall” into an indigenous narrative of shape-shifting, medicine, and spiritual fluidity. On the left, a fluid female figure raises her right arm in an authoritative, cautionary stance. Her left arm loops downward, morphing seamlessly into the open jaws of a serpent—the Ginebig. Far from representing original sin or deception, the serpent in Anishinaabe tradition is a revered entity of water, profound medicine, and prophecy. The serpent’s power is explicitly tied to her body via matching horizontal crimson and charcoal formlines that pattern her ribs.
This sacred contagion extends to her male companion, who reacts with open, splayed hands. His torso is charged with intense, undulating zig-zag bands. While these lines visually echo the slithering kinetics of a sidewinding serpent, in Woodland iconography they represent the flow of powerful spiritual energy currents—marking his own quickening evolution into a higher state of awareness.
The Keepers of the Fire and the Living Land
Above this scene of transformation, the canopy erupts into a roaring bonfire of autumn maple leaves. Here, the title of the work functions as an intentional conceptual extension of the medium. Odjig was of Odawa and Potawatomi heritage; the Potawatomi (Bodéwadmi) are traditionally known as the “Keepers of the Fire.” Rather than acting as passive fig leaves used to hide human shame, Odjig embeds two massive, piercing ovoid eyes directly into the brilliant crimson foliage.
In the animistic Woodland worldview, nature is a conscious, living relative. These leaves are the Manitou (spirits) and ancestors actively witnessing the sacred event unfolding below. The heavy saturation of fiery ochres and deep blues does not merely depict a physical Northern Ontario autumn—it captures an absolute spiritual ignition. By anchoring the title in “Fire,” Odjig invokes her ancestral lineage, presenting a landscape where humanity, ancestral flame, and the living earth move in perfect, explosive tandem.
Institutional Stature and Collectability
For the discerning collector, this masterpiece boasts an ironclad institutional exhibition pedigree that significantly solidifies its market position. Selected by esteemed curator Bonnie Devine, this original work was featured in the landmark national touring exhibition The Drawings and Paintings of Daphne Odjig: A Retrospective Exhibition, making historic stops at the Art Gallery of Sudbury, Kamloops Art Gallery, and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. This structural provenance cements Fire of the Maple Leaves as a museum-grade cornerstone of Canadian art history.
Provenance:
- Collection of Ben Robertson, Kamloops, BC
- Private Collection, British Columbia
Literature: Bonnie Devine, The Drawings and Paintings of Daphne Odjig: A Retrospective Exhibition (Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 2007), pl. 22, p. 130.
Exhibited: The Drawings and Paintings of Daphne Odjig: A Retrospective Exhibition, curated by Bonnie Devine:
- Art Gallery of Sudbury, ON (15 Sep–11 Nov 2007)
- Kamloops Art Gallery, BC (8 Jun–31 Aug 2008)
- National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON (23 Oct 2009–3 Jan 2010)
- MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, SK (6 Feb–2 May 2010)
The blank sheet of letter-size (8 ½ x 11 inch) paper covering part of the image in the scale documentation photo is provided for exact reference, immediately demonstrating the vertical command and versatile architectural display qualities of this fine print.
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