Peter Pitseolak
Settlement: Cape Dorset / Kinngait
(1902-1973) — E7-970
Inuit Artists Print Workbook was married to Aggeo, brother of Pootoogook, half brother of Eleeshushe, father of Mary Pitseolak, Udluriak Manning, Kooyoo Ottochie, and Annie Pitseolak and mark Pitseolak (by adoption) ------------------ Pitseolak, Peter, photographer, artist, writer (b on Nottingham I, NWT Nov 1902; d at Cape Dorset, NWT 30 Sept 1973). A camp leader, he recognized early that traditional INUIT life was disappearing and strove to record its passing, writing diaries, notes and manuscripts, drawing Inuit customs and legends, and photographing the life around him. He took his first photograph in the 1930s for a white man who was afraid to approach a polar bear; and in the early 1940s, while living in Cape Dorset working for fur traders, he acquired a camera from a Catholic missionary. With help from his wife Aggeok, he developed his first pictures in a hunting igloo, using as a safelight a 3-battery flashlight covered with red cloth. He photographed over a 20-year period, and after his death more than 1500 negatives, images increasingly valued as an insider's record of the final moments of Inuit camp life, were purchased from his widow for the National Museums of Canada. A fine artist, he is credited too with Cape Dorset's earliest contemporary works on paper: watercolour drawings executed in 1939 for John N.S. Buchan, later 2nd Baron Tweedsmuir, at the time a fur trader with the Hudson's Bay Co. Shortly before his death, Pitseolak put down in Inuit syllabics the story of his early life (published in 1975 as People from Our Side, with oral biography by D. Eber) and an account of near disaster among the ice floes (published in 1977 as Peter Pitseolak's Escape from Death, D. Eber, ed).
Exhibitions
- A Tribute to Cape Dorset Male Artists, Inukshuk Gallery
- Arctic Mirror, Canadian Museum of Civilization
- Canadian Eskimo Art: a representative exhibition from the collection of Professor and Mrs. Philip Gray, Fine Arts Gallery, Montana State University
- Canadian Eskimo Lithographs: Third Collection, Presented under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Division of the Department of External Affairs Canada
- Cape Dorset, Winnipeg Art Gallery
- Cape Dorset - Selected Sculpture from the Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg Art Gallery
- Cape Dorset Graphics *70, (annual collection)
- Cape Dorset Graphics *71, (annual collection)
- Cape Dorset Graphics *72, (annual collection)
- Cape Dorset Graphics *73, (annual collection)
- Cape Dorset Graphics *74, (annual collection)
- Cape Dorset Graphics *75, (annual collection)
- Cape Dorset Prints and Sculpture, McMaster Art Gallery
- Contemporary Inuit Drawings, Macdonald Stewart Art Centre
- Contemporary Inuit Drawings, Muscarelle Museum of Art College of William and Mary
- Drawings by Peter Pitseolak of Cape Dorset, The Innuit Gallery of Eskimo Art
- Early Cape Dorset Prints: Kenojuak, Pitseolak, Lucy, Kananginak, Kopapik, Houston North Gallery
- Eskimo Art, Embankment Gallery
- Eskimo Fantastic Art, Gallery 111, School of Art, University of Manitoba
- Eskimo Sculpture '69, Robertson Galleries
- Exhibition and Balloted Sale of Canadian Art, Art For All
- From Icebergs to Iced Tea, Thunder Bay Art Gallery
- Im Schatten der Sonne: Zeitgenossische Kunst der Indianer und Eskimos in Kanada/In the Shadow of the Sun: Contemporary Indian and Inuit Art in Canada, Canadian Museum of Civilization
- In Cape Dorset We Do It This Way: Three Decades of Inuit Printmaking, McMichael Canadian Art Collection
- INUA: 50 Works from the Cappadocia Collection of Inuit Art, McMaster Art Gallery
- Inuit Art from the Art Centre Collection, Macdonald Stewart Art Centre
- Inuit Art From the Glenbow Collection, Glenbow Museum
- Inuit Drawings, Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
- Inuit Games/Inuit Pinguangit/Jeux des inuit, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
- Inuit Graphic Art from Indian & Northern Affairs Canada, Winnipeg Art Gallery
- Inuit Graphics and Drawings from 1959-1990, Arctic Artistry
- Inuit Graphics from the Past, Arctic Artistry
- Inuit Ivories from the Collection, Winnipeg Art Gallery
- Inuit Sculpture and Prints from the Collection, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
- Inuit Traditions in Graphics: 1961-1987, Arctic Artistry
- La deesse inuite de la mer/The Inuit Sea Goddess, Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal
- Looking South, Winnipeg Art Gallery
- Noel au Chateau - Art inuit de la collection Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Macdonald Stewart Art Centre Guelph, Ontario presented at Chateau Dufresne
- On the Land, The Arctic Circle
- Peter Pitseolak, La Galerie Inuit
- Peter Pitseolak (1902-1973) Chroniqueur Inuit de Seekooseelak/Inuit Historian of Seekooseelak, McCord Museum/Musee McCord
- Peter Pitseolak: Photographer of Seekooseelak, Circulated in the Northwest Territories by the Notman Photographic Archives, McCord Museum
- Photographs by Peter Pitseolak, McCord Museum
- Recent Acquisitions of Early Inuit Sculpture, Arctic Artistry
- Selections from the McMaster Art Gallery Collection, McMaster Art Gallery
- Spoken in Stone: an exhibition of Inuit Art, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
- The Cape Dorset Print, Presented at Rideau Hall by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
- The Coming and Going of the Shaman: Eskimo Shamanism and Art, Winnipeg Art Gallery
- The Swinton Collection of Inuit Art, Winnipeg Art Gallery
- The World Around Me, University of Lethbridge Art Gallery
Collections
- Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria
- Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
- Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa
- Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec, Montreal
- Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull
- Dennos Museum Center, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City
- Department of Foreign Affairs, Ottawa
- Eskimo Museum, Churchill
- Glenbow Museum, Calgary
- Inuit Cultural Institute, Rankin Inlet
- Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph
- McCord Museum/Musee McCord, Montreal
- McMaster University Art Gallery, Hamilton
- McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg
- Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon
- Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
- New Brunswick Museum, Saint John
- Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University, Sackville
- Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife
- Red Deer and District Museum and Archives, Red Deer
- Sarick Collection, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
- Tom Thomson Memorial Gallery and Museum of Fine Art, Owen Sound
- University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, Lethbridge
- Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Banff
- Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg
Exhibitions
A Tribute to Cape Dorset Male Artists
Inukshuk Gallery
Arctic Mirror
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canadian Eskimo Art: a representative exhibition from the collection of Professor and Mrs. Philip Gray
Fine Arts Gallery, Montana State University
Canadian Eskimo Lithographs: Third Collection
Presented under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Division of the Department of External Affairs Canada
Cape Dorset
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Cape Dorset - Selected Sculpture from the Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Cape Dorset Graphics *70
(annual collection)
Cape Dorset Graphics *71
(annual collection)
Cape Dorset Graphics *72
(annual collection)
Cape Dorset Graphics *73
(annual collection)
Cape Dorset Graphics *74
(annual collection)
Cape Dorset Graphics *75
(annual collection)
Cape Dorset Prints and Sculpture
McMaster Art Gallery
Contemporary Inuit Drawings
Macdonald Stewart Art Centre
Contemporary Inuit Drawings
Muscarelle Museum of Art College of William and Mary
Drawings by Peter Pitseolak of Cape Dorset
The Innuit Gallery of Eskimo Art
Early Cape Dorset Prints: Kenojuak, Pitseolak, Lucy, Kananginak, Kopapik
Houston North Gallery
Eskimo Art
Embankment Gallery
Eskimo Fantastic Art
Gallery 111, School of Art, University of Manitoba
Eskimo Sculpture '69
Robertson Galleries
Exhibition and Balloted Sale of Canadian Art
Art For All
From Icebergs to Iced Tea
Thunder Bay Art Gallery
Im Schatten der Sonne: Zeitgenossische Kunst der Indianer und Eskimos in Kanada/In the Shadow of the Sun: Contemporary Indian and Inuit Art in Canada
Canadian Museum of Civilization
In Cape Dorset We Do It This Way: Three Decades of Inuit Printmaking
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
INUA: 50 Works from the Cappadocia Collection of Inuit Art
McMaster Art Gallery
Inuit Art from the Art Centre Collection
Macdonald Stewart Art Centre
Inuit Art From the Glenbow Collection
Glenbow Museum
Inuit Drawings
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Inuit Games/Inuit Pinguangit/Jeux des inuit
Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Inuit Graphic Art from Indian & Northern Affairs Canada
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Inuit Graphics and Drawings from 1959-1990
Arctic Artistry
Inuit Graphics from the Past
Arctic Artistry
Inuit Ivories from the Collection
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Inuit Sculpture and Prints from the Collection
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Inuit Traditions in Graphics: 1961-1987
Arctic Artistry
La deesse inuite de la mer/The Inuit Sea Goddess
Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal
Looking South
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Noel au Chateau - Art inuit de la collection Macdonald Stewart Art Centre
Macdonald Stewart Art Centre Guelph, Ontario presented at Chateau Dufresne
On the Land
The Arctic Circle
Peter Pitseolak
La Galerie Inuit
Peter Pitseolak (1902-1973) Chroniqueur Inuit de Seekooseelak/Inuit Historian of Seekooseelak
McCord Museum/Musee McCord
Peter Pitseolak: Photographer of Seekooseelak
Circulated in the Northwest Territories by the Notman Photographic Archives, McCord Museum
Photographs by Peter Pitseolak
McCord Museum
Recent Acquisitions of Early Inuit Sculpture
Arctic Artistry
Selections from the McMaster Art Gallery Collection
McMaster Art Gallery
Spoken in Stone: an exhibition of Inuit Art
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
The Cape Dorset Print
Presented at Rideau Hall by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
The Coming and Going of the Shaman: Eskimo Shamanism and Art
Winnipeg Art Gallery
The Swinton Collection of Inuit Art
Winnipeg Art Gallery
The World Around Me
University of Lethbridge Art Gallery
Public Collections
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Victoria
Art Gallery of Ontario
Toronto
Canada Council Art Bank
Ottawa
Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec
Montreal
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Hull
Dennos Museum Center, Northwestern Michigan College
Traverse City
Department of Foreign Affairs
Ottawa
Eskimo Museum
Churchill
Glenbow Museum
Calgary
Inuit Cultural Institute
Rankin Inlet
Macdonald Stewart Art Centre
Guelph
McCord Museum/Musee McCord
Montreal
McMaster University Art Gallery
Hamilton
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
Kleinburg
Mendel Art Gallery
Saskatoon
Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia
Vancouver
New Brunswick Museum
Saint John
Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University
Sackville
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
Yellowknife
Red Deer and District Museum and Archives
Red Deer
Sarick Collection, Art Gallery of Ontario
Toronto
Tom Thomson Memorial Gallery and Museum of Fine Art
Owen Sound
University of Lethbridge Art Gallery
Lethbridge
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Banff
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg
Artwork
| Title | Last Sold At Auction | |
|---|---|---|
| A COLLECTION OF DRAWINGS | 2007-04 (April 2007) | |
| A FEAST OF CHAR | 2016-08 (August 2016) | |
| ANGAKO | 2010-01 (January 2010) | |
| ARCTIC EMBLEM | 2012-09 (September 2012) | |
| BAFFIN HAWK | 2022-11 (November 2022) | |
| BIRD | 2013-05 (May 2013) | |
| BIRD OF NIGHT | 2021-03 (March 2021) | |
| DANCE OF THE BIRD SPIRIT | 2022-03 (March 2022) | |
| DRUM DANCER | 2015-10 (October 2015) | |
| DRUM DANCER, 1970 | 2024-01 (January 2024) | |
| FISHERMAN | 2011-02 (February 2011) | |
| FOXES AND HARES | 2010-04 (April 2010) | |
| HUNTER WITH MUSK OX AND TWO SEALS | 2011-05 (May 2011) | |
| INUK’S HEAD | 2008-10 (October 2008) | |
| KIKAVIK | 2019-12 (December 2019) | |
| LARGE OWL | 2021-12 (December 2021) | |
| MOTHER WITH CHILD IN AMAUT | 2019-05 (May 2019) | |
| MY WIFE AND I | 2014-04 (April 2014) | |
| OWL ATTACKED BY DOGS | 2022-10 (October 2022) | |
| OWL MOTHER AND CHILD | 2021-12 (December 2021) | |
| SUMMER JOURNEY | 2021-03 (March 2021) | |
| TALEELAYO | 2008-10 (October 2008) | |
| THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND COLLECTION OF THE ART OF THE ESKIMOS | 2014-06 (June 2014) | |
| UNTITLED | 2007-04 (April 2007) | |
| UNTITLED (MAN WITH SEAL AND WOMAN JIGGING FOR FISH) | 2015-06 (June 2015) | |
| VIGILANT OWL | 2016-04 (April 2016) |
