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
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

Works by this artist (6 items)

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William Edmondson, Untitled (Teacher), ca. 1932-1940, carved limestone, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.88
Untitled (Teacher)
Artist
Dateca. 1932-1940
carved limestone
On view
William Edmondson, Crucifixion, ca. 1932-1937, limestone, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Elizabeth Gibbons-Hanson, 1981.141
Crucifixion
Artist
Dateca. 1932-1937
limestone
On view
William Edmondson, Rabbit, ca. 1940, carved limestone, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.241
Rabbit
Artist
Dateca. 1940
carved limestone
On view
William Edmondson, Untitled (Bird), ca. 1937, carved limestone, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.89
Untitled (Bird)
Artist
Dateca. 1937
carved limestone
On view

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Welmon Sharlhorne, Untitled (Building with Recessed Entrance and Black Foreground), ca. 1992, ink on manila envelope, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.135
Untitled (Building with Recessed Entrance and Black…
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ink on manila envelope
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Andrea Way, Bones, 1987, ink on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tom and Judy Brody, 2009.38.3, © 1987, Andrea Way
Bones
Artist
Date1987
ink on paper
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Carl Piwinski, Martian Worlds, ca. 1992, ink on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.125
Martian Worlds
Artist
Dateca. 1992
ink on paper
Not on view
Christoph Voll, William H. Johnson, Heads of Two Children, ca. 1930-1938, pen and ink on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.388
Heads of Two Children
Artist
Dateca. 1930-1938
pen and ink on paper
Not on view