Untitled (Woman with Red Fish)
Nellie Mae Rowe
American, 1900–1982
Details
Title
Untitled (Woman with Red Fish)
Artist/Maker
Nellie Mae Rowe (American, 1900–1982)
Date
before 1978
Medium
Crayon and pencil on paper
Dimensions
18 x 24 inches
Credit
Gift of Andy Nasisse for the Nasisse Collection
Accession #
1993.60
Location
Currently not on view
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.
Image Copyright
© Estate of Nellie Mae Rowe/High Museum of Art, Atlanta.