ELIJAH FED BY RAVENS

Unidentified, ELIJAH FED BY RAVENS, early 20th century, carved and painted wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.294
Unidentified, ELIJAH FED BY RAVENS, early 20th century, carved and painted wood, 26 1⁄4 x 16 5⁄8 x 7⁄8 in. (66.7 x 42.2 x 2.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.294
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Artwork Details

Title
ELIJAH FED BY RAVENS
Artist
Unidentified
Date
early 20th century
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
26 1⁄4 x 16 5⁄8 x 7⁄8 in. (66.7 x 42.2 x 2.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums
Mediums Description
carved and painted wood
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — garden
  • Animal — bird — raven
  • Religion — Old Testament — Elizah
Object Number
1986.65.294
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1986.65.294

Artwork Description

This carving illustrates a story from the first book of Kings in the Old Testament. God wanted to punish the evil king of Israel, so he sent Elijah to tell the king that he would stop the rain from falling for three years. To escape the king’s anger, Elijah ran away to the desert where the ravens brought him “bread and meat” every day. The unknown artist used elements from the story, such as the ravens, the boulders in the river, and the folds in Elijah’s cloak, to create an eye-catching pattern of carved textures and bright colors.

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