In many respects, the first generation of Inuit artists were formidable documentarians, preserving for future generations an archive of traditional Inuit history and culture. By the 1960s Inuit artists who were born on the land had already witnessed tremendous change. Their semi-nomadic lifestyle was rapidly being supplanted by resettlement, and missionaries and educators were actively diverting focus away from the ways of old.

Of all the great storytellers from Puvirnituq, Davidialuk and his cousin Joe Talirunili were arguably the best. While Talirunili focused primarily on recording personal adventures and traditional camp life, Davidialuk is best known for his depictions of Inuit folklore and legends. Less common, but no less wonderful, are Davidialuk’s intimate depictions of everyday life. This striking vignette is not unlike Puvirnituq prints of the period, where the rough edge of the stone block becomes a visual element to contain the image within. Here the stone’s shape conveys the close confines of an igloo sleeping platform. This charmingly intimate portrait of a small family is rustic in style but carved with interesting details such as the trousers and pronounced ankles and wrists of the father.

References: Similarly themed and styled work by the artist in Virginia Watt, et. al, Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec: The Permanent Collection: Inuit Arts And Crafts c. 1900-1980, (Montreal: Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec, 1980), fig. 10 (listed there as unidentified artist); see a reclining Mother Nursing a Child from 1959 by the artist in Jean Blodgett, Povungnituk (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1981), cat. 8. See also Walker’s Auctions, 22 November 2017, Lot 104.