Kananginak Pootoogook Greedy Wolf Stonecut Print Appraisal

Kananginak Pootoogook 'Greedy Wolf' Stonecut Print

This item is a framed Inuit stonecut print titled 'Greedy Wolf' by the renowned Cape Dorset artist Kananginak Pootoogook. The artwork depicts a stylistic scene of a wolf and a goose competing over a shared food source, rendered in a two-tone palette of dark charcoal and earthen red. The figures exhibit the characteristic simplified, rhythmic forms and decorative interior patterning associated with the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative printmaking style. The medium is stonecut on a textured, off-white handmade paper, which displays visible rippling and undulation, likely due to improper mounting or humidity changes over time. The print includes pencil inscriptions at the bottom edge, identifying the title, technique, and artist's signature in syllabics and English. It is housed in a simple, dark wood frame with a metallic inner lip. There are signs of aging, including yellowing of the paper and minor scuffing on the frame's edges. Kananginak (1935–2010) was a pivotal figure in the development of Northern graphic arts, and this piece likely dates from the late 1960s to mid-1970s, representing a classic period of Inuit artistic expression.