A drawing of stylized and vibrant figures and animals, including a pink fish, a peacock and rod…

Creation (Pink Fish)

Artist Nellie Mae Rowe (American, 1900 - 1982)

Date1981

MediumColored pencil and crapas on paper

DimensionsImage: 13 15/16 × 16 15/16 inches (35.4 × 43 cm)
Sheet: 13 15/16 × 16 15/16 inches (35.4 × 43 cm)
Matted: 20 × 24 inches (50.8 × 61 cm)

Credit LineGift of The Judith Alexander Foundation.

Object number2011.20.1

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Copyright© Judith Alexander Foundation / Atlanta, Georgia. The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextBorn in Fayetteville, Georgia, Nellie Mae Rowe’s day-to-day revolved around tending to her husband’s or family’s farms and the homes she cleaned as a housekeeper. Although she sketched in her free time, Rowe’s career was launched later in her life, at the age of 48. In Creation (Pink Fish), a plethora of animals, humans, and hybrids organically interact across the composition. Eschewing a realistic perspective and sense of depth, her creatures appear to ﬂoat in an otherworldly space, emphasizing the ﬂow of spiritual energy. In Rowe’s work, ﬁsh frequently denote the idea of reproduction, and this drawing suggests the unity of all things divinely created.

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