Sun, Moose and Two Wolves

Norval Morrisseau
c. 1960s, acrylic on art paper, 24 x 30 inches

“Morrisseau feels that the great moose or the stag of the native peoples of America is synonymous with the bull in Minoan and Greek mythologies”  – Lister Sinclair, published in The Art of Norval Morrisseau, pg. 51, 1978

“In dreams of my youth, my spirit dwelled inside a huge moose, and I was protected from hardships of this earth. In middle life, the moose discharged my spirit from his body and it became one with my earthly self. The moose told me to purify myself spiritually and I did this for a time. Finally, in my old age, I rebelled and left forever the dream that pulled me toward that era.” = Norval Morrisseau, 1965

Morrisseau’s artwork Sun, Moose and Two Wolves is a painting about the realities of interdependence and the ruthlessness of nature’s balance. In Morrisseau’s visual vocabulary the moose is a symbol of masculinity, endurance and willpower. Of the dozens of moose paintings rendered by Morrisseau most depict two opposing bulls in rut or alternatively the theme of a Bull Moose fighting for survival against man or beast. Morrisseau’s struggle to maintain unity of body, mind and spirit in the midst of the dualities prevalent in his unusual existence are a metaphorical focus of this painting.” – Ritchie Sinclair, 2018