Owl Paints the Raven

Description

‘Owl Paints the Raven’ by Ningeokuluk Teevee – Inuit Art – Cape Dorset 2009 print collection presented by DaVic Gallery of Native Canadian Arts.

Condition:          No condition to be noted.

Description by Artist:     No description by artist found.

Notes from DaVic Gallery:  “Owl Paints the Raven” – is one of my favorite pieces showing the raven painting owl’s beautiful plumage and a frustrated owl trying to paint raven in return.  Beautiful story behind it.

Legend of the Raven and the Owl

The Raven and the Owl were good friends and both have stark white plumage. Raven becomes bored with his plain coloring and asks Owl if she is bored with being white as well. Owl responds that she is also unsatisfied by her coloring. Raven proposes that the birds paint each other’s plumage so that they are no longer as white as the snow around them, and Owl agrees. Raven paints Owl first, drawing gray circles of various sizes all over his friend’s feathers. When he is finished, Raven is overcome by what a good job he has done and steps back so that Owl may look at herself. Turning his head to the sun and staying as still as possible, Raven then waits while Owl paints him. Once Owl has finished, she begins to admire her work. However, when she looks back at herself she realizes that Raven now looks more beautiful than she does. Owl accordingly goes over to the lamp from which Raven had taken the burnt-fat and pours the remnants over Raven. Owl then flies away; Raven shrieks after her, “Oh, you sharp-clawed Owl, oh, you keen-eyed Owl, what have you done?! You have made me blacker than soot, blacker than night!” From that day on every raven has been black.

Enjoy this short animated film of Owl Paints the Raven by National Film Board of Canada