Fallen Mummer on Brookfield Marsh | Etching 11 of 75 | 1996

About the Artwork

Fallen Mummer on Brookfield Marsh is a poignant 1996 aquatint by David Blackwood, created in response to a true story passed down to the artist by his father. As Blackwood explained in his own words, this is the “first visual rendition of the incident,” though it had previously been mentioned in William Gough’s The Art of David Blackwood

At the turn of the 20th century, a group of mummers from Wesleyville set out in the dark to visit nearby Badger's Quay, dressed in lace-veiled cloaks and carrying lanterns. Their plan was to move from house to house in disguise, delighting in the tradition of unmasking only when correctly identified. The journey took them across a frozen expanse known as Brookfield Marsh. Partway across, one of the mummers, Uncle Johnny Stockley—then in his late seventies—collapsed with what turned out to be a fatal stroke. His companions returned with a borrowed sled and carried him home. What began as a festive outing ended in solemnity and remembrance.

This deeply moving scene is captured with ethereal stillness in Blackwood’s print. Five veiled figures in traditional Bonavista North mummer attire gather in a wind-blown arc around the fallen figure of Uncle Johnny. His face glows with warmth at the composition's centre, as if lit from within, contrasting with the swirling dark blues and blacks of the surrounding night. The rendering of the garments in flowing motion, the clarity of linework, and the sense of reverent pause all convey the layered complexity of Newfoundland’s outport traditions—where joy and grief often walk hand in hand. The work not only preserves a local oral history but transforms it into a timeless reflection on community, mortality, and shared memory.

Dimensions and Details

• Size: Approx. 9" x 12" (plate), framed as shown
• Medium: Aquatint
• Edition: 11/75
• Display: This work is professionally framed and archivally matted. It is offered in pristine condition from the original purchaser and comes ready to hang.

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