In the Garden from the Prevalence of Ritual Suite

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Romare Bearden, In the Garden from the Prevalence of Ritual Suite, 1974, screenprint, image: 36 x 29 in. (91.4 x 73.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Byron Lewis, 2009.42.4

Artwork Details

Title: In the Garden from the Prevalence of Ritual Suite
Artist: Romare Bearden
Date: 1974
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: image: 36 x 29 in. (91.4 x 73.7 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Byron Lewis
Mediums Description: screenprint
Classifications: Graphic Arts
Print
Subjects: Landscape — garden
Figure female — full length
Object Number: 2009.42.4
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2009.42.4

Artwork Description

In 1974, Bearden created series of five screen prints he titled the Prevalence of Ritual that presented episodes from Greek mythology and stories from the Bible through a Southern lens. In the Garden is an obvious allusion to Eve and the Garden of Eden, but Bearden shows the Eve figure in the guise of a “conjur” woman or Southern healer. He said: “She was called upon to prepare love potions…and to be consulted regarding vexing personal and family problems. Much of her knowledge had been passed on through generations from an African past, although a great deal was learned from American Indians.”

African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond, 2012