Bible Flying (#1805)

Howard Finster, Bible Flying (#1805), 1980, enamel on wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.16
Copied Howard Finster, Bible Flying (#1805), 1980, enamel on wood, 2450 78 in. (61.0129.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.16

Artwork Details

Title
Bible Flying (#1805)
Date
1980
Dimensions
2450 78 in. (61.0129.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums
Mediums Description
enamel on wood
Classifications
Keywords
  • Architecture — vehicle — airplane
  • Religion — Old Testament
  • Landscape — imaginary
Object Number
1997.124.16

Artwork Description

Howard Finster was fascinated by modern technology and filled his two-acre Paradise Garden with portraits of inventors and examples of their creations. An inscription on this painting reveals that it was inspired by an airplane trip to Miami. Finster used quotes from the Bible to compare this journey to visions of divine flight, such as "who are these that fly as a cloud" and "Oh that I had wings like a dove for then would I fly away." He painted an eerie, hilly landscape depicting the fantasy world that he "saw" from the window of the airplane.