Object Details
Created by
David C. Driskell, American, 1931 - 2020
Subject of
Emmett Till, American, 1941 - 1955
Caption
“If the men who killed Emmett Till had known his body would free a people, they would have let him live.” —Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
In 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till traveled from Chicago, Illinois, to visit family in Money, Mississippi. Till was murdered by two white men who had accused him of flirting with a white woman. His death shocked the nation and spurred the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement.
David Driskell was deeply affected by Till’s death and felt compelled to create a memorial to the young teenager. Conceived as a visual allegory, Driskell’s modern-day pietà makes connections between Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection and Till’s murder and funeral, invoking the religious foundations that undergirded many of the struggles for African American rights.
Description
An oil painting in which the artist presents the bruised and battered body of Emmett Till as a Christ-like figure with his arms outstretched in the form of a crucifixion. The hands and arms of a figure behind him are visible holding the body.
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Date
1956
Object number
2009.7
Restrictions & Rights
© The Estate of David C. Driskell
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Type
oil paintings
Medium
mixed media on canvas
Dimensions
H x W (unframed): 46 × 36 in. (116.8 × 91.4 cm)
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Visual Arts
Movement
Civil Rights Movement
Exhibition
Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience.
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 052
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Topic
African American
Art
Christianity
Civil Rights
Religion
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmaahc_2009.7