Wake

Malcah Zeldis, Wake, 1974, oil on panel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David L. Davies, 1992.37.11
Malcah Zeldis, Wake, 1974, oil on panel, 23 1⁄2 x 31 7⁄8 in. (59.7 x 81.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David L. Davies, 1992.37.11

Artwork Details

Title
Wake
Artist
Date
1974
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
23 1⁄2 x 31 7⁄8 in. (59.7 x 81.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of David L. Davies
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on panel
Classifications
Subjects
  • Architecture Interior — domestic — living room
  • Ceremony — funeral
  • State of being — death
  • Figure group
Object Number
1992.37.11
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1992.37.11

Artwork Description

Malcah Zeldis enjoyed painting as a young adult but only began painting seriously when she was middle-aged. Her paintings often fuse her childhood memories and recent events. This combination leads to dream-like imagery than can be hard to situate in a certain time frame. Zeldis believes that painting helps her sort out feelings about life. In Wake she explores death with bright colors and specific details. As a child, Zeldis went to a museum and was fascinated by the detailed work of Flemish painters. That fascination stayed with her, and her work reflects a careful study of details, such as the profusion of flowers in this painting, the room's reflection in the mirror, and the subtle details of each person’s clothing.

Works by this artist (56 items)

View all artworks
Paul Herzoff, Dan in Bus, 1971, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1983.63.717, ©1971, Paul B. Herzoff
Dan in Bus
Artist
Date1971
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Paul Herzoff, Poetry in Sheetmetal, 1971, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1983.63.692, ©1971, Paul B. Herzoff
Poetry in Sheetmetal
Artist
Date1971
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Paul Herzoff, Old Housetruck, 1971, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1983.63.721, ©1971, Paul B. Herzoff
Old Housetruck
Artist
Date1971
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Paul Herzoff, Craig's Housetruck, 1971, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1983.63.725, ©1971, Paul B. Herzoff
Craig’s Housetruck
Artist
Date1971
gelatin silver print
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Browse All Artworks
Image Not Available
Bently
Artist
Dateca. 1975
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled, ca. 1945-1950, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Lewis and Jean Greenblatt, 2002.86.9
Untitled
Artist
Dateca. 1945-1950
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled, ca. 1945-1950, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Lewis and Jean Greenblatt, 2002.86.7
Untitled
Artist
Dateca. 1945-1950
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Jared French, Margaret French, PaJaMa, Paul Cadmus, PaJaMa (Box A), ca. 1937, gelatin silver prints, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Margaret French, 1999.98.5.16
PaJaMa (Box A)
Artist
Dateca. 1937
gelatin silver prints
Not on view