Carved and painted wood flames of judgment Northeastern United States, mid 19th century

Robert Carlen, Philadelphia, 1975

"The Shape of Things: Folk Sculpture from Two Centuries," American Folk Art Museum, 1983

American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 352, fig. 316

Very good condition.
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The powerful symbolism of this expressive carving belies its relatively small size. As an image of transcendence, a figure emerges from the flames, arms raised in a gesture to heaven. The flames are boldly rendered in teardrop shapes, while the delicately carved figure is clothed in what appears to be a robe or gown, reinforcing the idea of one of the faithful rising from the dead at the time of the Last Judgment. An alternative interpretation, which depends in large part on the viewer's perceptions and personal outlook, sees the figure engulfed in the flames of hell, a soul pleading for mercy in the face of eternal damnation.

These two equally dramatic readings result from a certain level of ambiguity in the carving's imagery. When placed in the larger social and religious context of the time, they are not at all as contradictory as they might first appear. They are, in fact, the complementary poles of a central concern of most nineteenth-century Christians. Salvation or damnation, the fate of every individual, was not certain until the end, and even those who believed in predetermination could not be assured of the mysterious workings of the Divine. In this way, the carving embodies a fundamental millennial notion that inspired a number of utopian sects and expresses a motivating force in the lives of many members of the general populace.

While its original purpose is not clear, the piece has obvious funereal associations. An identical example in a private collection even shares the fairly recent black enamel finish over an old paint surface. The fact that they are a pair lends credence to the idea that they were used as decorations on a funeral wagon or hearse, though they might also have been applied as interior architectural ornaments of some sort. -R.S.