A View from the Vault: Isa Smiler’s Couple Fishing
By Yuqiao Cao, Museums and Student Success and Curriculum Partnerships
“A View from the Vault” showcases some of the unique, notable or rare items that are a part of the Special Collections and Museums holdings at the University of Delaware. Each month, we highlight a different item and share interesting facts or intriguing histories about it. If you are interested in seeing any of the materials featured in person or want to learn more about anything showcased in the series, please contact Special Collections and Museums at AskSpec or AskMuseums.
Isa Smiler’s undated graphite and watercolor on paper, Couple Fishing
Isa Smiler (Inukjuak (Nunavik), 1921-1986)
Couple Fishing
Undated (20th Century)
Graphite and watercolor on paper
Museums Collections, Gift of Frederick and Lucy S. Herman
In this drawing, Nunavik artist Isa Smiler captures a peaceful moment of an Inuit couple. Surrounded by snowy hills, the man (center) is shielded from the cold weather by traditional Inuit clothing. His face is lit with joy as he concentrates on the fish on his fishing pole. The woman (left) is wearing a parka and a skirt, patiently waiting for movement from her fishing rod. Behind them, a yellow sled is attached to four sled dogs. Even in the harsh winter weather, the serene view and the contented expressions of both humans and animals provide us a glance into an enjoyable day of an Inuit couple’s daily life.
Couple Fishing allows us to peek into this distinct Inuit lifestyle while highlighting the Inuit beliefs in their connection with animals. The couple’s parkas are most likely made of caribou skin while the materials for the man’s boots and the bag on the ice are harvested from ringed seals. Inuit believe that wearing animal skin clothing creates a spiritual connection between the wearer and the animals whose skins are used to make the garments. Salvaging and using every part of the animal would please the animal’s spirit, and in a show of gratitude, the animals would willingly sacrifice in return in the next season.
Smiler, also known by his Inuktitut name Aqiattusuk, played a significant role in promoting Inuit art. While most famous for his carvings, Smiler started making art on paper in 1958, producing most of his drawings in 1973 and 1974 while hospitalized. Smiler’s drawings often illustrate the Inuit community’s daily lives and cultural practices.
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