Sagnet om bjergtroldens (inuarullikkat) forfædre: Forfædrene skifter tøj og vokser 1859 - 1863

Aron from Kangeq created this woodcut print titled, Sagnet om bjergtroldens (inuarullikkat) forfædre: Forfædrene skifter tøj og vokser, sometime in the 19th century. The print depicts a scene from Greenlandic Inuit folklore, showing figures changing clothes and growing in size. Aron was an Inuit hunter, painter, and oral historian, living at a time when Greenland was undergoing rapid cultural change due to European colonization and Christian missionary work. The colonial administration fostered local artistic expression and, thus, artists like Aron were commissioned to make work that documented Inuit life and traditions. The image, therefore, speaks to the complex negotiation of cultural identity in a changing world, as well as the power dynamics inherent in colonial encounters. As an art historian, to further understand this work, I would research the history of Greenlandic folklore, colonial policies toward indigenous art, and the artist's biography. These will help provide insight into how the artist's individual experiences and cultural context shaped his artistic choices and the meaning of his work.