Ubekendt titel 1928 - 1938

This small watercolor painting was made by Jakob Danielsen, an Inuit artist who lived in Greenland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Danielsen’s delicate strokes capture a hunting scene, likely painted from memory: a boat of men in pursuit of seals. Working with such simple materials – paper, pigment, water – he evokes the vastness of the Arctic landscape, and the lives lived within it. There’s a real sense of place; you can almost feel the cold. Danielsen was self-taught, but his imagery is closely tied to the traditions of Inuit visual culture. He gives us a rare glimpse into a world where survival depends on intimate knowledge of the environment, and skillful harvesting of its resources. Consider the labor required to hunt in this way, and the stakes of the endeavor. Danielsen’s work is a reminder that art is not just about aesthetics, but also about the stories we tell about ourselves, and the world around us.