- Created by
- Myers, Christopher, American, born 1974
- Date
- 2022
- Medium
- cotton and synthetic fabric appliqué with cotton duck backing
- Dimensions
- H x W: 107 × 392 in. (271.8 × 995.7 cm)
- Caption
- The Grim Work of Death is a visual journey into the life of
- Nat Turner, born to enslavement in Southampton County,
- Virginia. Turner was a deeply religious man who preached
- the Bible and experienced prophetic visions. In 1831, he
- experienced a vision during the solar eclipse that inspired
- him to lead a group of enslaved individuals in a rebellion that
- resulted in the deaths of scores of men, women, and children.
- Turner escaped harm but was later apprehended and put to
- death. Prior to his execution in November 1831, Turner
- dictated to attorney Thomas R. Gray his Confessions, in which
- he described the rebels’ efforts as “the grim work of death.”
- In 2022, Myers commemorated Turner’s life and legacy
- in this monumental tapestry that combines historical
- investigation with mythological storytelling. He states, “My
- work as a storyteller and as an artist centers on pulling
- mythologies apart from official records. Especially for African
- Americans and other marginalized folks, we must learn to read
- these records for our unwritten histories, to see ourselves in
- the empty spaces on the page.”
- Description
- A large appliqué textile work depicting Nat Turner's life and rebellion of enslaved persons in Virginia in August 1831. The work consists of a single, long, rectangular panel, handsewn with pieces of appliquéd fabrics creating colorful and curving figures and imagery against a red, floral print background. The appliqué pieces include a variety of textiles, some solid colors and some with printed or woven design patterns.
- The imagery on the left depicts enslaved figures weilding farm tools, axes, picks, and hammers along with a leaping blue bull and a running white horse. Along the top, black and white figures battle each other, with their feet at the top edge and their heads towards the center. At center, a figure is presented in bands of dark brown and red stripes, wearing a band of printed blue fabric with a yellow tie at his waist. The central figure faces another figure who raises his shackled hands high above his head. At right, a pale face with tears of blood appears from the bottom amidst corn stalks. At the top right corner is a dark face whose open lips have been sewn shut with blue thread.
- The appliqué front is folded to wrap around the edges and handsewn to the back lining. Made of cotton duck, the lining is machine sewn and includes self-fabric casings along the top and bottom edges, with semi-regularly spaced vertical cuts along the top casing.
- Classification
- Visual Arts
- Textiles and Quilts
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2023.47
- Restrictions & Rights
- © Christopher Myers
- Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




