Little David Play Upon Your Harp Study 1
1932
Charcoal and ink on yellow trace
19” x 22 3/4”
An adept hand made this study, which again reveals the meaning behind the art. David stands on the chest of Goliath (the model for Goliath) was ironically the husband of the artist). David is the artist’s hero, Samuel Julius Johnson, a man known for his singing, ventriloquism, and powers as a hoodoo. The landscape and cabin well represent the Eastern Shore, and the three police lurking in the background symbolize how fragile equality was one hundred years ago.