, 2008. Fibreglass stone and airplane. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Purchased 2011. Photo © Roman März](/images/content/menuSeeGallery.png)
Benjamin West
The Death of General Wolfe (Detail), 1770
oil on canvas
152.6 x 214.5 cm
Transfer from the Canadian War Memorials, 1921 (Gift of the 2nd Duke of Westminster, England, 1918)
National Gallery of Canada (no. 8007)
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Nunali, c. 1988-1989
Jackoposie Oopakak
Canadian (Inuit), 1948
dark green stone, antler, sinew, bone, steel, and black inlay
113 x 73.6 x 95.4 cm
Purchased 2003
National Gallery of Canada (no. 41188)
As if echoing the thoughts of the caribou, an entire worldview, encompassing the living inhabitants of the tundra and sea, is contained within the graceful arcing forms of the full set of antlers. From the base to the tips, rising a meter above and along each of the branches, Jackoposie Oopakak has carved arctic animals and birds, including caribou, polar bears, and whales. Human activities are included as well: fishing, hunting by bow and arrow, cleaning skins, stretching boots, and travelling by dog-sled and kayak. Antler is a medium fairly common in Inuit art, but a full pair of antlers is a rarity. Oopakak demonstrates extraordinary technical skill in his ability to carve figures in this friable material and his training in jewellery-making comes into play in the precise and intricate details.
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