#16 • Rie Muñoz "Butchering at Gambell" Stone Lithograph c.1974

Part of The Works of Rie Muñoz Art Auction (timed auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $650.00

Status: Sold

Category: Art

A signed and numbered 6/125 all-black stone lithograph by Alaska artist Rie Muñoz entitled "Butchering at Gambell". The work depicts an Alaska Native community processing a harvested whale near the shoreline in Gambell, Alaska. The detailed composition highlights men cutting away the flesh of the whale with long-handled flensing knives that make deep parallel incisions through the thick layer of blubber and skin. Meanwhile, the women begin processing the muktuk with their sharp ulu knives, and then dragging it home. Children and dogs are watching the process from the sidelines, reflecting the communal labor and cultural significance of subsistence whaling in St. Lawrence Island communities, including Gambell where the artist spent extensive time. Titled, numbered, signed, and dated by the artist c.1974 by the artist across the lower margin. Shrink-wrapped on board measuring approximately 17" x 24" overall with a sight view of 15" x 22".