Devil in Casket with She Devil and Evangelist

Copied Sulton Rogers, Devil in Casket with She Devil and Evangelist, ca. 1991, painted wood, overall: 20 x 15 3⁄4 x 10 in. (50.8 x 40.0 x 25.4 cm.) A (devil): 1 3⁄4 x 11 3⁄4 x 2 1⁄4 in. (4.4 x 29.8 x 5.7 cm.) B (casket open): 4 1⁄8 x 15 3⁄4 x 7 in. (10.5 x 40.0 x 17.8 cm.) B (casket closed): 3 1⁄2 x 15 3⁄4 x 5 in. (8.9 x 40.0 x 12.7 cm.) C (she devil): 14 x 9 x 3 3⁄4 in. (35.6 x 22.9 x 9.5 cm.) D (evangelist): 14 x 5 3⁄4 x 3 7⁄8 in. (35.6 x 14.6 x 9.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.81A-D

Artwork Details

Title
Devil in Casket with She Devil and Evangelist
Artist
Date
ca. 1991
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
overall: 20 x 15 3⁄4 x 10 in. (50.8 x 40.0 x 25.4 cm.) A (devil): 1 3⁄4 x 11 3⁄4 x 2 1⁄4 in. (4.4 x 29.8 x 5.7 cm.) B (casket open): 4 1⁄8 x 15 3⁄4 x 7 in. (10.5 x 40.0 x 17.8 cm.) B (casket closed): 3 1⁄2 x 15 3⁄4 x 5 in. (8.9 x 40.0 x 12.7 cm.) C (she devil): 14 x 9 x 3 3⁄4 in. (35.6 x 22.9 x 9.5 cm.) D (evangelist): 14 x 5 3⁄4 x 3 7⁄8 in. (35.6 x 14.6 x 9.8 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums
Mediums Description
painted wood
Classifications
Keywords
  • African American
  • State of being — death
  • Occupation — religion — preacher
  • Religion — Satan
Object Number
1997.124.81A-D
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1997.124.81A-D

Artwork Description

Sulton Rogers took up carving to entertain himself while working the night shift at a chemical plant in New York. Upon discovering that people were stealing his handiwork while he was not around, he decided to see what would happen to a carving of a deceased man in a coffin. No one took it. From then on, Rogers thrived on creating macabre, quirky pieces drawn from his dreams. His fanciful, sometimes grotesque figures often humorously blend African American folk beliefs and religious icons. The she-devil, whom Rogers called a "haint" (ghost), and the evangelist are recurring characters in his work.