Untitled (Woman with Red Fish)
Folk and Self-Taught Art

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Untitled (Woman with Red Fish)
Artwork Details
Artist/Maker
Nellie Mae Rowe
American, 1900–1982
American, 1900–1982
Date
before 1978
Medium
Crayon and pencil on paper
Accession #
1993.60
Dimensions
Please contact the Museum for more information.
Location
Currently Not on View
Description
A frequent character in Nellie Mae Rowe’s art is a large, bright fish. As a devout Christian, Rowe often illustrated her lifelong walk with the Lord and considered art making an act of prayer. Fish often symbolize the Christian faith as well as fertility and female sexuality. In this drawing of a fish in a fantastical sea, a female figure swims below at a distance, exemplifying reverence. Rowe was never able to have children, so this drawing may also serve as a reference to her reproductive struggles.
Credit
Gift of Andy Nasisse for the Nasisse CollectionImage Copyright
© Estate of Nellie Mae Rowe/High Museum of Art, Atlanta.