Although Parr did not have the technical proficiency of the younger, sometimes trained artists in Kinngait working contemporaneously, his style is so fascinating and persuasive that he has come to be recognized as a master draughtsman. In this work, we see Parr’s predisposition to mix frontal and profile views of his subjects and also his peculiar exaggeration of anatomy. Distinguishing details of the different figures are largely lacking; even the delightful “dot and dash” facial features that Parr would employ for his entire career are essentially generic.

References: For examples of contemporaneous drawings by Parr see Ingo Hessel, “The Drawings of Parr: A Closer Look” in IAQ (Fall 1988), 14-20; Marion E. Jackson, Parr: His Drawings, (Halifax: Art Gallery, Mount Saint Vincent University, 1988); and Drew Armour, “Parr: A Unique Canadian Artist” in Canadian Antiques & Art Review, (April 1981), pp. 30-35. For information about the artist, see Terry Ryan, “Parr” in The Beaver, Autumn 1979; this article was subsequently reprinted in Alma Houston, ed. Inuit Art: An Anthology, (Winnipeg: Watson & Dwyer, 1988) pp. 38-41.