The Weight of Light

Francesco Clemente, The Weight of Light, 2006, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James F. Dicke Family, 2013.89.2, © 2006, Francesco Clemente
Copied Francesco Clemente, The Weight of Light, 2006, oil on canvas, 74 x 81 in. (188.0 x 205.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James F. Dicke Family, 2013.89.2, © 2006, Francesco Clemente

Artwork Details

Title
The Weight of Light
Artist
Date
2006
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
74 x 81 in. (188.0 x 205.7 cm)
Copyright
© 2006, Francesco Clemente
Credit Line
Gift of the James F. Dicke Family
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Object — tool — chain
Object Number
2013.89.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2013.89.2

Artwork Description

The Weight of Light draws from the colors and iconography of the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé, according to which Oshalá, an emissary of God, climbed down a chain to create the earth. Born out of the transatlantic slave trade, this spiritual tradition combines African beliefs with Catholic practices. Clemente fractures white light into its rainbow elements to paint a looping chain, an emblem of slavery; the image suggests a connection between the two continents as well as a bridge uniting Candomblé's African roots and its New World practitioners.