The Walrus Hunt

Description

‘The Walrus Hunt’ by PARR – Inuit Art – Cape Dorset 1963 print collection by Dorset Fine Arts, presented by DaVic Gallery of Native Canadian Arts.

Condition:          Very Good Condition – This beautiful and rare 57 yr old print has been professionally restored for handling marks and yellowing of paper.   Some ink marks remain surrounding the image from the original printing.  Picture 3 shows some of these marks above the walrus in the middle.

Description by Artist:     No description by artist found.

Notes from DaVic Gallery:    PARR’s works compare much with Luke Anguhadluq’s works on the rawness and direct first hand representation of a nomadic life of the Inuit.  It is interesting to notice this collection of PARR images they all invoke from PARR’s memories as a hunter himself where all situations are related to hunter and animals.

The usual strong sharp cuts of the stone by Lukta Qiatsuq leaving a beautifully textured stonecut image of this dramatic scene of three hunters on their kayaks giving chase to four large walruses.  Note how PARR stresses in this design how much larger and heavier each walrus in comparison to each of the hunters.  The hunters have successfully harpooned two of the walruses that now carry the harpoon stuck to their skin dragging a floating seal skin tied to the harpoon to keep the walrus close to the surface and tire them as they try to swim down and away from the hunters.  All the while the three hunters give chase until the walruses are exhausted and the hunters go for the kill.  An epic battle to the death follows from the moment hunters raise their harpoon for a strike.  A walrus weighs over 2000 lbs and though near defenseless while on the ground on the sea they are most powerful and dangerous and the hunt can just as easily turn deadly for the hunter.  Many good hunters never make it back to their village from a walrus hunt.  Amazing detail that indeed it is only one of that kayaks that the hunter has not released yet his harpoon as the floating device can still be seen in his kayak while the other two kayaks is visible they no longer have their respective floating devices that are now attached to the walruses.

Translated title of the print and artist name are written in the back of the paper.

Reference picture # 6 for size comparison with letter size paper