THE LORD WILL DELIVER HIS PEOPLE ACROSS JORDAN

Howard Finster, THE LORD WILL DELIVER HIS PEOPLE ACROSS JORDAN, 1976, enamel on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., 1988.74.6
Howard Finster, THE LORD WILL DELIVER HIS PEOPLE ACROSS JORDAN, 1976, enamel on fiberboard, 30 1⁄8 x 29 5⁄8 in. (76.4 x 75.1 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., 1988.74.6

Artwork Details

Title
THE LORD WILL DELIVER HIS PEOPLE ACROSS JORDAN
Artist
Date
1976
Location
Dimensions
30 1⁄8 x 29 5⁄8 in. (76.4 x 75.1 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
enamel on fiberboard
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Religion — angel
  • Landscape — river — Jordan River
  • Religion — New Testament — Christ
  • Architecture — religious
Object Number
1988.74.6
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1988.74.6

Artwork Description

In 1976, after some four decades of preaching, Howard Finster responded to a vision in which God directed him to "paint sacred art." Finster believed that pictures would help people grasp the enormity of the Word of God. His painted sermons on life, death, salvation, and damnation eventually covered almost every inch of Paradise Garden, his four-acre art environment in Summerville, Georgia.

His concerns about a world of suffering and destruction drove Finster to create the artworks he called "signposts to salvation." In this triptych, he depicts trials encountered in the Bible's Book of Revelations, conveying his belief that no matter what problems loomed, God would protect and deliver the faithful.

Works by this artist (16 items)

View all artworks
Howard Finster, THE MODEL OF SUPER POWER PLAINT (FOLK ART MADE FROM OLD T.V. PARTS), 1979, assembled and painted electronic television parts, painted metal, painted stic, glitter, mirror glass, wood, cardboard, and ceramic, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.245
THE MODEL OF SUPER POWER PLAINT (FOLK ART MADE FROM OLD T.V…
Artist
Date1979
assembled and painted electronic television parts, painted metal, painted stic, glitter, mirror glass, wood, cardboard, and ceramic
On view
Howard Finster, "God is Love. Seek his will and find his peace he saves from sin.", after 1970, oil on wood paneling, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., 1998.84.15
“God is Love. Seek his will and find his peace he saves…
Artist
Dateafter 1970
oil on wood paneling
On view
Howard Finster, AND THE MOON BECAME AS BLOOD, 1976, enamel on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., 1988.74.7
AND THE MOON BECAME AS BLOOD
Artist
Date1976
enamel on fiberboard
On view
Howard Finster, THER SHALL BE EARTH qUAKES, 1976, enamel on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., 1988.74.8
THER SHALL BE EARTH qUAKES
Artist
Date1976
enamel on fiberboard
On view

More Artworks from the Collection

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Image Not Available
Untitled (Purple)
Artist
Date1987
enamel on plywood
Not on view
John William ("Uncle Jack") Dey, The Elephant Who Was Fond of Watermelon, 1970s, enamel on masonite, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David L. Davies, 1992.37.5
The Elephant Who Was Fond of Watermelon
Artist
Date1970s
enamel on masonite
Not on view
Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., Portrait of Hermine Katz, Atlantic City, 1949, enamel paint on board, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., 1998.84.19
Portrait of Hermine Katz, Atlantic City
Artist
Date1949
enamel paint on board
Not on view
Willem de Kooning, Untitled, 1950, enamel on paper mounted on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the Vincent Melzac Collection through the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, 1980.5.2
Untitled
Artist
Date1950
enamel on paper mounted on paperboard
Not on view