Posts mit dem Label Art werden angezeigt. Alle Posts anzeigen
Posts mit dem Label Art werden angezeigt. Alle Posts anzeigen
Dienstag, 18. April 2017
Historic Paddle Illustration Mikmaq Paddle Art
An interesting article entitled, "Art Sales: colonial Canadian art reawakened", in The Telegraph discusses how auction sales of 19th century colonial artworks are fetching record prices. In particular, 2 famous paintings featuring Mi'kmaw bark canoes and paddles that were estimated at between £25,000 - £40,000 went for a whopping £530,500, more than 13 times the high end estimate! It apparently was sold to an unidentified Canadian buyer.
The first piece, Mi’qmak Indians hunting Canada geese, features a typical "humped" Mi'kmaq Ocean canoe with rounded ends riding the ocean waves powered by a blanket sail.
Mi’qmak Indians hunting Canada geese
ca. 1850
Artist: Unknown
ca. 1850
Artist: Unknown
The female bow paddler has her infant secured to her back with a cradle board and is paddling with a paddle shape very unique to this First Nations group - a spear like blade with recurved shoulders and no grip end.
This paddle design has been described as an early Micmac paddle after a sketch which still exists in the National Maritime Museum (London) and reproduced by Adney & Chappelle.
Fig. 4: Adney & Chappelle
Bulletin - United States National Museum
Smithsonian Institution; United States. Dept. of the Interior
Smithsonian Institution; United States. Dept. of the Interior
Image Source Link
The second painting, Mi’qmak Indian camp on a bay with Mi’qmaks shooting Canada geese, also features some lovely lateral shots of these bark canoes along with better illustration of the paddle shapes and decorated blades
Mi’qmak Indian camp on a bay with Mi’qmaks shooting Canada geese
ca. 1850
Artist: Unknown
A closeup of the male hunter on the bottom left shows a paddle resting across the gunnels. The paddle blade features a distinct scroll pattern and no discernible grip on the end either. In the zoomed image, it also looks like his one leg is wrapped over the paddle shaft for a sort of brace before taking the shot with his rifle.
The other female bow paddlers once again feature the spear like paddles with curved motifs for decoration.
If this second painting looks familiar it's because I posted about another version back in 2009. That copy now resides in the National Art Gallery of Canada. Clearly painted by the same unknown artist, the oil and canvas version is said to be of poorer quality than the one just sold at auction.
"Micmac Indians"
Unknown Artist, circa 1850oil on canvas
45.7 x 61 cm
National Gallery of Canada (no. 6663)
I've read that many ethnographers have praised the details in these artworks as very accurate portrayals of Mi'kmaw embroidery and material culture so it should give a wonderful clue as to paddle forms and decoration of this time period.
Sonntag, 19. Februar 2017
Brazilian Canoe Art by Benedito Calixto
Sad times in Brazil, with firm evidence of the Airbus crash just emerging. But Brazilian correspondent Silvio Antunha sends information about an artist who documented the wonderful dugout canoes of his country. Benedito Calixto (1853-1927) was Silvio's grand-uncle on his mother's side. Silvio sent several pertinent links, all in Portuguese, but well worth checking out even if, like me, you are afflicted by "American's Disease" and can't do anything but English.
http://br.geocities.com/benedicto_calixto/pagina_marinhas.htm
http://www.novomilenio.inf.br/santos/calixt45.htm
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedito_Calixto
The first of the links above, from which I borrowed the painting at the top of this post, has some formatting problems, but if you move your cursor carefully along the right-hand column of thumbnails, you'll eventually find the links to larger images. (No problems with the left-hand column.) The image of the artist himself, below, is from the Wikipedia site.
Silvio points out that the artist's name translates as Sacred Goblet (i.e., Holy Grail?).
I've written about Brazilian dugouts previously, mostly with Silvio's valuable input. This link will bring them all up. If you want still more, there's some great stuff on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8yHb43wjzE&NR=1 Dugout regatta sailing action: these things seem to behave beautifully in a chop, and seem surprisingly forgiving of "bad" technique.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow11ZqvMWEM Mainly a slide show with some nice images of dugout construction. The image that appears around 1:25 shows some of the nicest lines I've ever seen on a dugout.
http://br.geocities.com/benedicto_calixto/pagina_marinhas.htm
http://www.novomilenio.inf.br/santos/calixt45.htm
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedito_Calixto
The first of the links above, from which I borrowed the painting at the top of this post, has some formatting problems, but if you move your cursor carefully along the right-hand column of thumbnails, you'll eventually find the links to larger images. (No problems with the left-hand column.) The image of the artist himself, below, is from the Wikipedia site.
Silvio points out that the artist's name translates as Sacred Goblet (i.e., Holy Grail?).
I've written about Brazilian dugouts previously, mostly with Silvio's valuable input. This link will bring them all up. If you want still more, there's some great stuff on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8yHb43wjzE&NR=1 Dugout regatta sailing action: these things seem to behave beautifully in a chop, and seem surprisingly forgiving of "bad" technique.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow11ZqvMWEM Mainly a slide show with some nice images of dugout construction. The image that appears around 1:25 shows some of the nicest lines I've ever seen on a dugout.
Montag, 9. Januar 2017
Canoe Paddle Puzzle Art
Oldpuzzles.com has a massive collection of (go figure) old puzzle toys with interesting decorative artwork. Managed to find two puzzles with some paddle illustrations.
The first is a highly romanticised version of two scantily-clad Indian maidens entitled The Canoe Girls with one of them holding a decorated spear-like paddle, very much like the early Mi'kmaq design documented by Adney.
Date: 1930s
Pieces: 300
Maker: Beraton, S.W.
Artist: Relyea, Charles
Another puzzle shows a woman in fancy dress paddling a sharp stemmed bark canoe with a rather long beavertail paddle. It's entitled A Rose Among Lilies and comes with a pretty risqué subheader - "Wouldn’t You Rather Paddle Her Canoe than Your Own?"
ca. 1933
260 pieces
11”H x 18”W
artist: W. Granville Smith
Cut 1930s by unknown maker, plywood, interlocking, irregular edges, upper and lower halves double cut together to make interchangeable pieces. This picture, also by W. Granville Smith, appeared as the centerfold in an 1896 issue of Truth magazine with the catchy double entendre sub-title above and a very attractive female engaged in an unusual athletic activity (for women)
Perhaps the inspiration for the puzzle was this actual picture of Mabel Frances Whittemore, wife of Reginald Whittemore who founded the Nature Canada charity in 1939 in honour of his late wife. Can't imagine having to kneel in a canoe with a corset and dress, but they sure look stylish!
Mabel Frances Whittemore paddling her canoe
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