This painting titled "Dancing to Restore the Eclipsed Sun", is inspired from an Edward Curtis 1914 photograph. This painting depicts a dancing ritual performed by the Kwakiutl (now known as Kwakwaka'wakw) people of British Columbia, who inhabited areas along Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland. This ceremonial dance was performed to counteract the effects of a solar eclipse, a practice rooted in many traditional Native American beliefs and similar Indigenous ceremonies world-wide. In this ceremony, participants dance around a smoldering fire wearing old clothing and dirty hair, believing that the resulting stench will cause the sky creature attempting to swallow the Sun during an eclipse, to sneeze and release it. There was a total solar eclipse visible over parts of North America, including Vancouver Island, British Columbia, on August 21, 1914. In British Columbia, the eclipse would have occurred in the late morning to early afternoon (around 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM local time, depending on exact location). Fort Rupert, British Columbia was a significant Kwakwaka’wakw cultural center and Alert Bay, British Columbia was also a known Kwakwaka’wakw settlement where Curtis photographed ceremonies in the early 20th century and is a more plausible location for this painting scene. Acquisition inquires for the original painting, as well as signed, scid-free, museum quality paper prints, can be made through my DM on here or atwww.gilesfineart.com
This painting titled "Dancing to Restore the Eclipsed Sun", is inspired from an Edward Curtis 1914 photograph.
This painting depicts a dancing ritual performed by the Kwakiutl (now known as Kwakwaka'wakw) people of British Columbia, who inhabited areas along Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland.
This ceremonial dance was performed to counteract the effects of a solar eclipse, a practice rooted in many traditional Native American beliefs and similar Indigenous ceremonies world-wide.
In this ceremony, participants dance around a smoldering fire wearing old clothing and dirty hair, believing that the resulting stench will cause the sky creature attempting to swallow the Sun during an eclipse, to sneeze and release it.
There was a total solar eclipse visible over parts of North America, including Vancouver Island, British Columbia, on August 21, 1914. In British Columbia, the eclipse would have occurred in the late morning to early afternoon (around 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM local time, depending on exact location).
Fort Rupert, British Columbia was a significant Kwakwaka’wakw cultural center and Alert Bay, British Columbia was also a known Kwakwaka’wakw settlement where Curtis photographed ceremonies in the early 20th century and is a more plausible location for this painting scene.
Acquisition inquires for the original painting, as well as signed, scid-free, museum quality paper prints, can be made through my DM on here or at www.gilesfineart.com