<I>Upper Room</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1984
name: label: Created by
content: John Biggers, American, 1924 - 2001
label: Printed by
content: Hand Graphics, American, founded 1974
notes: label: Description
content: A color lithograph print on cream-colored Arches paper titled Upper Room by John Biggers. The print's image is focused on three women with their backs toward the viewer. The woman on the left carries on her back a tall trellis structure, with a plant interwoven among the lattice. At the top of the trellis, two figures stand, their arms raised to each hold up a peaked roof. The woman's hands rest on the back of the woman at the center of the print. She and the third woman are holding up a small house, with the structure resting on their heads. The front of the house is open and inside a table is visible in front of a bed and curtained window. Two chairs stand on either side of the opening into the bedroom, and a horseshoe is nailed above. At the top of the peaked roof is a small tower with a bell. To the right side of the print, is a tree with bare branches crossed by lines of ropes or wires. Below the tree, are two kettles and eight chickens moving up and away from the women towards the top of the tree. Three upturned kettles rest on the very top of the tree's branches, with a bird rising in flight. Above and behind the scene is the night sky, with shooting stars moving from left to right, forming the big dipper in front of a crescent moon. Within the dipper formed by the stars, a wooden or gourd dipper is upturned, appearing to pour light down onto the kettles and tree. At the bottom left is the edition [26/75] and title ["Upper Room"]. At the bottom right is the artist's signature with date [John Biggers 1984].
place: label: Place printed
content: Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: American South
label: Topic
content: Art
label: Topic
content: Domestic life
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Social reform
label: Topic
content: Spirituality
label: Topic
content: Women
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Visual Arts
label: Exhibition
content: Cultural Expressions
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 050
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2007.6.2
objectType: label: Type
content: color lithographs
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © Artists Rights Society
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: lithographic ink on Arches (TM) paper
label: Dimensions
content: framed: 47 1/2 x 35 1/2 x 1 3/8 in. (120.7 x 90.2 x 3.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (unframed): 42 x 29 11/16 in. (106.7 x 75.4 cm)