Created by
Nelson, Kadir, American, born 1974
Date
2005
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
H x W x D (framed): 48 × 48 × 3 1/2 in. (121.9 × 121.9 × 8.9 cm)
Caption
Artist's statement: "From the ashes of slavery rises the hope of the future of the New African. The older African hangs from an oak tree, bound, staked and crucified, tortured, yet strengthened by his historical role as a subhuman being which was forced upon him by racial assistance of a divine spirit (symbolized by the presence of seven birds). A young child, the New African, stands at the foot of the tree as if having risen from the roots. He glares into the dawn of a new day with a clean slate, emancipated."
Description
An oil painting the crucifixion of a young Black man on a tree. His body is positioned along the branches and trunk of the tree like the body of Christ, with each outstretched arm bound in multiple places to a branch and his feet crossed at the ankles and nailed to the bottom of the tree trunk. Beneath the tree is the figure of a small child facing away from the tree and the crucified figure and towards a glow of light emanating from the left side the painting. In the blue sky of the background, seven white cranes fly towards the same glow the small child is facing. The painting is signed and dated in the bottom right corner: [Kadir Nelson MMCI (C)].
Classification
Visual Arts
Type
oil paintings
Topic
African diaspora
Art
Christianity
Identity
Religion
Slavery
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Delores A. McNeely (Ozier) and family in memory of Robert A. McNeely
Object number
2021.103
Restrictions & Rights
© Kadir Nelson
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd568e63d94-104a-43be-94bb-396d3c0188a9

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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