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The Gift, 1975

Painting by Norval Morrisseau of two adult figures, one a missionary and one a shaman, and a smaller child all facing each other. A line of dots reaches out from the missionary into the shaman's body and also appears on the child, suggesting a smallpox infection.

Norval Morrisseau, The Gift, 1975, acrylic on paper, 196 x 122 cm, Helen E. Band Collection, Thunder Bay Art Gallery, ON.

This politically charged painting demonstrates Morrisseau’s keen understanding of colonialism and challenges the inaccurate assumption that he is simply a painter of legends. The dots inside the three figures suggest smallpox, which devastated Indigenous populations. Additionally, while the shaman and the missionary appear to exchange spiritual ideas, the young child seems to be captivated by the medicine bag: the Christian ways and European ideas it signifies are seductive.

Gallery

Painting by Norval Morrisseau, made on birchbark, depicting two figures facing each other. On the left, a Thunderbird stands with its wings outstretched. On the right, the figure has a wing and talon on one side of its body and a human arm and leg on the other.

Untitled (Thunderbird Transformation), c.1958–60

Painting by Norval Morrisseau of a nude dark-skinned man, seen from the side, with dark green snakes wrapped around his body.

Self-Portrait Devoured by Demons, 1964

Painting by Norval Morrisseau of two figures in sexual embrace, the female with breasts laying down with the male on top. The figures are drawn with thick black outlines and surrounded by a circular shape with areas of patterns painted in bright colours.

Artist in Union with Mother Earth, 1972

Painting by Norval Morrisseau of a hairy creature with horns, clawed feet, and a long tail. Its body is white with red stripes and randomly placed light green dots.

Water Spirit, 1972

Painting by Norval Morrissea of a figure with long dark hair facing to the side with his arms near his chest. He is wearing a purple cape, red sash, green arm bands, and has a blue and red halo behind his head.

Indian Jesus Christ, 1974

Painting by Norval Morrisseau of two adult figures, one a missionary and one a shaman, and a smaller child all facing each other. A line of dots reaches out from the missionary into the shaman's body and also appears on the child, suggesting a smallpox infection.

The Gift, 1975

Painting by Norval Morrisseau of a dark-skinned man with long dark hair. He has a bird on his head, is holding two more, and has a fish below him. All the figures are divided into shapes filled with blue and green paint and the background is bright orange.

Man Changing into Thunderbird, 1977

Painting by Norval Morrisseau in two panels. In the left panel, a tall seated figure is enveloped in colourful shapes, some of which contain animals, as if they are clothing. In the right panel, a seated child figure looks up in the direction of the adult. Above and surrounding him are colourful shapes and animals.

The Storyteller: The Artist and His Grandfather, 1978

Painting by Norval Morrisseau with a bright yellow background made in four panels. It features people, animals, birds, and plants, all filled with in blue and red shapes, moving towards a large blue bird in the centre under a blue arch.

Androgyny, 1983

Painting by Norval Morrisseau with a blue background. On the left, a group of people surrounded by an orange bubble face the centre of the frame, while another group of people on the right are surrounded by a green and yellow bubble. There is a a tree in the middle of the two groups with birds sitting on the branches. Fish appear through a yellow bubble above the tree and swim to the right.

Observations of the Astral World, c.1994

Painting by Norval Morrisseau, made on birchbark, depicting two figures facing each other. On the left, a Thunderbird stands with its wings outstretched. On the right, the figure has a wing and talon on one side of its body and a human arm and leg on the other.

Untitled (Thunderbird Transformation), c.1958–60

Painting by Norval Morrisseau of a nude dark-skinned man, seen from the side, with dark green snakes wrapped around his body.

Self-Portrait Devoured by Demons, 1964

Painting by Norval Morrisseau of two figures in sexual embrace, the female with breasts laying down with the male on top. The figures are drawn with thick black outlines and surrounded by a circular shape with areas of patterns painted in bright colours.

Artist in Union with Mother Earth, 1972

Painting by Norval Morrisseau of a hairy creature with horns, clawed feet, and a long tail. Its body is white with red stripes and randomly placed light green dots.

Water Spirit, 1972

Painting by Norval Morrissea of a figure with long dark hair facing to the side with his arms near his chest. He is wearing a purple cape, red sash, green arm bands, and has a blue and red halo behind his head.

Indian Jesus Christ, 1974

Painting by Norval Morrisseau of two adult figures, one a missionary and one a shaman, and a smaller child all facing each other. A line of dots reaches out from the missionary into the shaman's body and also appears on the child, suggesting a smallpox infection.

The Gift, 1975

Painting by Norval Morrisseau of a dark-skinned man with long dark hair. He has a bird on his head, is holding two more, and has a fish below him. All the figures are divided into shapes filled with blue and green paint and the background is bright orange.

Man Changing into Thunderbird, 1977

Painting by Norval Morrisseau in two panels. In the left panel, a tall seated figure is enveloped in colourful shapes, some of which contain animals, as if they are clothing. In the right panel, a seated child figure looks up in the direction of the adult. Above and surrounding him are colourful shapes and animals.

The Storyteller: The Artist and His Grandfather, 1978

Painting by Norval Morrisseau with a bright yellow background made in four panels. It features people, animals, birds, and plants, all filled with in blue and red shapes, moving towards a large blue bird in the centre under a blue arch.

Androgyny, 1983

Painting by Norval Morrisseau with a blue background. On the left, a group of people surrounded by an orange bubble face the centre of the frame, while another group of people on the right are surrounded by a green and yellow bubble. There is a a tree in the middle of the two groups with birds sitting on the branches. Fish appear through a yellow bubble above the tree and swim to the right.

Observations of the Astral World, c.1994

The Gift - Art Canada