Enchanted Rider

Bob Thompson, Enchanted Rider, 1961, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1975.21
Copied Bob Thompson, Enchanted Rider, 1961, oil on canvas, 62 3⁄4 x 46 7⁄8 in. (159.5 x 119.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1975.21

Artwork Details

Title
Enchanted Rider
Artist
Date
1961
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
62 3⁄4 x 46 7⁄8 in. (159.5 x 119.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Equestrian
  • Fantasy — winged being
Object Number
1975.21
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1975.21

Artwork Description

In some of Thompson’s canvases, the artist revisited mythical and allegorical subjects; in others, Christ images, Madonnas, and Christian saints served as vehicles for exploring the battle between good and evil. Enchanted Rider depicts a figure astride a winged steed whose hoofs trample a devil-like monster. The subject may be Pegasus, the flying horse from Greek mythology who defeated the fearsome Chimera, but the faint cross at the center suggests a religious theme. According to legend, St. George held a cross to protect himself when he attacked a dragon that was terrorizing a village. When he slew the dragon and rescued a princess, the town’s citizens adopted Christianity in gratitude.


African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond, 2012