Carl

Norval Morrisseau, RCA
Carl
Original limited-edition serigraph on paper
Edition 114 of 160
Signed and numbered in pencil
Produced by Jack Pollock, Toronto
Custom framed with UV-protective, non-reflective museum glass

Personal, contemplative and rich with colour, Carl is Norval Morrisseau’s portrait of his friend and fellow artist Carl Ray.

Rather than creating a conventional physical likeness, Morrisseau presents Ray through bold colour, enclosed forms and interconnected imagery. The portrait is built from vibrant orange, red, blue, green and violet, held together by the heavy black formlines that define Morrisseau’s mature graphic work.

Carl Ray was an influential Cree artist and a founding member, alongside Morrisseau, of Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporated—the collective commonly known as the “Indian Group of Seven.” Ray became an important figure in the development of Woodland art, creating paintings, murals and illustrations rooted in Cree stories and spiritual imagery.

The portrait carries particular poignancy because of the friendship and artistic connection between Morrisseau and Ray. It is both a likeness and a tribute: one pioneering Woodland artist seen through the visual language of another.

This impression is signed by Morrisseau and numbered 114 from an edition of 160. It is presented in a custom black frame with museum-grade UV-protective, non-reflective glass.

Artwork details

Artist: Norval Morrisseau
Title: Carl
Medium: Original limited-edition serigraph on paper
Edition: 114 of 160
Producer: Jack Pollock, Toronto, according to gallery records
Inscribed: Signed and numbered in pencil
Print dimensions: 21½ × 16 inches
Framed dimensions: 24 × 20 inches
Orientation: Vertical
Presentation: Custom framed with museum-grade UV-protective, non-reflective glass
Subject: Portrait of Cree artist Carl Ray

About Carl Ray

Carl Ray was a Cree painter, illustrator, muralist and educator from Sandy Lake First Nation in Northern Ontario. He worked in the Woodland style and became known for imagery drawn from Cree traditions, spirit figures and oral histories.

Ray and Morrisseau were among the founding members of Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporated, established in the 1970s to advocate for greater recognition and opportunity for Indigenous artists in Canada. The group’s influence helped establish Indigenous contemporary art within galleries, museums and the broader Canadian art world.

A separate link to Carl Ray’s full biography can follow here:  [link]

Provenance

This impression has a longstanding history with Steffich Fine Art. Gallery founder Matt Steffich handled and placed impressions of Carl over the years as part of the gallery’s broader representation of Norval Morrisseau’s original works and official limited-edition prints.

The artwork is accompanied by a Steffich Fine Art provenance package documenting its edition information, inscriptions, condition, presentation and available gallery history. This documentation is prepared for insurance, collection management and future provenance records.

Condition

The serigraph is offered in excellent condition.

The colours remain vivid, the paper presents cleanly and the artwork has been newly custom framed. Museum-grade UV-protective, non-reflective glass reduces glare while helping protect the work from light exposure.

Additional photographs and condition details are available upon request.

Authenticity and gallery guarantee

Steffich Fine Art guarantees this work to be an original limited-edition Norval Morrisseau serigraph.

The artwork is accompanied by a detailed provenance package, including edition and inscription photographs, condition documentation and supporting historical reference material where available.

Steffich Fine Art has a longstanding history of exhibiting, researching and placing works by Norval Morrisseau. Every work is reviewed with careful attention to authorship, provenance, condition and available published records.

Fully insured and tracked shipping is available. Please submit an inquiry or contact the gallery with your postal code for a delivery quote.