<I>The Grim Work of Death</I>
date: label: Date
content: 2022
name: label: Created by
content: Christopher Myers, American, born 1974
notes: label: Caption
content: The Grim Work of Death is a visual journey into the life of
label: Caption
content: Nat Turner, born to enslavement in Southampton County,
label: Caption
content: Virginia. Turner was a deeply religious man who preached
label: Caption
content: the Bible and experienced prophetic visions. In 1831, he
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content: experienced a vision during the solar eclipse that inspired
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content: him to lead a group of enslaved individuals in a rebellion that
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content: resulted in the deaths of scores of men, women, and children.
label: Caption
content: Turner escaped harm but was later apprehended and put to
label: Caption
content: death. Prior to his execution in November 1831, Turner
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content: dictated to attorney Thomas R. Gray his Confessions, in which
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content: he described the rebels’ efforts as “the grim work of death.”
label: Caption
content: In 2022, Myers commemorated Turner’s life and legacy
label: Caption
content: in this monumental tapestry that combines historical
label: Caption
content: investigation with mythological storytelling. He states, “My
label: Caption
content: work as a storyteller and as an artist centers on pulling
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content: mythologies apart from official records. Especially for African
label: Caption
content: Americans and other marginalized folks, we must learn to read
label: Caption
content: these records for our unwritten histories, to see ourselves in
label: Caption
content: the empty spaces on the page.”
label: Description
content: A large appliqué textile work depicting Nat Turner's life and rebellion of enslaved persons in Virginia in August 1831. The work consists of a single, long, rectangular panel, handsewn with pieces of appliquéd fabrics creating colorful and curving figures and imagery against a red, floral print background. The appliqué pieces include a variety of textiles, some solid colors and some with printed or woven design patterns.
label: Description
content: The imagery on the left depicts enslaved figures weilding farm tools, axes, picks, and hammers along with a leaping blue bull and a running white horse. Along the top, black and white figures battle each other, with their feet at the top edge and their heads towards the center. At center, a figure is presented in bands of dark brown and red stripes, wearing a band of printed blue fabric with a yellow tie at his waist. The central figure faces another figure who raises his shackled hands high above his head. At right, a pale face with tears of blood appears from the bottom amidst corn stalks. At the top right corner is a dark face whose open lips have been sewn shut with blue thread.
label: Description
content: The appliqué front is folded to wrap around the edges and handsewn to the back lining. Made of cotton duck, the lining is machine sewn and includes self-fabric casings along the top and bottom edges, with semi-regularly spaced vertical cuts along the top casing.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Art
label: Topic
content: Religion
label: Topic
content: Resistance
label: Topic
content: Slavery
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1815-1861
label: Topic
content: Violence
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Visual Arts
label: Classification
content: Textiles and Quilts
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: 2023.47
objectType: label: Type
content: textile art (visual works)
label: Type
content: appliqué (textile visual works)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © Christopher Myers
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: cotton and synthetic fabric appliqué with cotton duck backing
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 107 × 392 in. (271.8 × 995.7 cm)