'Sisterhood on the Front Lines of Health' CANVAS PRINT
Special painting commissioned by the National Medical Association. Limited Edition Prints exclusive to the NMA. The print is available for purchase in two sizes (24" x 36" is true to the size of the original, while 18" x 24" is half the size of the original). All prints are on stretched canvas and standard wrapped on a 0.75" wooden back frame, and retouched by artist Sarah Jones. Comes with a glossy seal and a wall hanger system.
Because each print is individually retouched, please allow for 3 weeks to receive your painting.
ABOUT THE PIECE:
Summary:
Harriet Tubman was an activist and a humanitarian and expert nurse who took on the roles we see in nurses today to care for those who needed help. Healthcare professionals today can embody her advocacy spirit and compassion for themselves and the patients in their care.
The Subject:
Harriet Tubman lived a life of advocacy, courage, and fearlessness as a conductor of the Underground Railroad. The mysteriousness of her placement in the painting, almost seeming to float in mid-air, or in the sky represents the spirit she had that has lived on through the many black women who have been able to do great things because of her unwavering bravery and determination.
Her role in the Health Care system:
Not many people know that she also was a nurse at one point. She often took care of her passengers on their way to freedom, and this experience helped her serve as a Civil War nurse, where she cared for hundreds of wounded soldiers and nursed them back to health.
The Vegetation in the Background:
Harriet nursed wounded soldiers through her knowledge of medicinal herbs, a skill she learned from her mother. Her leaning on an 'invisible wall" where the plants sit behind a circular void speaks to the backbone of her skill set as a nurse. She found ways to use the resources provided by the very land beneath her feet-- the land that was used as the escape route. During the Civil War, her skills as an herbalist was an essential part of medical practice, helping to address medical shortages, combat infections, and alleviate the suffering of soldiers in a time when conventional medicine was limited.
"On the Front Lines"
Harriet always found herself on the front lines for her people. She was appointed as a matron in 1865 at a hospital in Fort Monroe, Virginia, caring for wounded Black soldiers. Tubman also served as a Union spy, using the navigation skills she gained as a conductor to assist with raid planning and reconnaissance missions. Tubman made history by leading three Union gunboats in the famous 1863 Combahee River Raid that freed 700 slaves in South Carolina. She described how the throngs of slave women came streaming towards "Lincoln's gun-boats" with their babies, baskets, chickens and pigs.
The colors/patterns:
The background- Representative of the sky, the place where spirits reside and watch over us. Comforting colors of a bright morning sunrise, representing optimism.
Her shirt- A deep shade of orange, often associated with warmth, comfort, and a hint of earthiness.
Her skirt- While it's clear the physicians in the pattern are unapologetically black women, the silhouettes obscure details, leaving room for interpretation and sparking curiosity. The other elements of her skirt serve as visual language, conveying stories about our African heritage. The rich symbolism known to be in African patterns reflect cultural values, beliefs and historical narratives.