Inuit Child - Gabriel Gély (1965)

Original charcoal drawing, 17.5" x 19.5"

A moving original work by Gabriel Gély, dated 3-8-65 and signed in Port Harrison (now Inukjuak, Quebec). The quiet emotion in the child’s expression is tenderly rendered in soft black, the surrounding space gently blurred as if to hold the subject in stillness. A portrait that invites pause — not only to admire its technique, but to feel what’s being shared. This is a rare and sensitively drawn piece of northern history, framed behind glass in its original black and gold frame.

Gabriel Joseph Gély was born in Paris in 1924 and moved to Canada in the early 1950s, where he worked extensively in the Arctic. Serving as a craft officer for the Department of Northern Affairs, he documented and engaged with Inuit communities, producing moving portraits and murals that explored life in the North. His works are known for their depth and empathy—particularly his depictions of children, rendered with remarkable tenderness and respect.