American Art Collaborative

William Edmondson, a son of Tennessee slaves, worked as a field hand, railway worker, and janitor before responding to a vision in which God directed him to start carving. At first he made tombstones with discarded limestone and chisels made from old railway spikes, then he began creating more figurative forms like Crucifixion. Its compact composition retains the form of the original block. With minimal detailing of the hands and face, this piece forcefully conveys Edmondson's creative power.

"Can’t nobody do these but me."
—William Edmondson

Exhibition Label, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2006