Phoenix Ascending

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A color offset lithograph depicting a phoenix rising from a chaotic, fiery scene. The yellow and blue phoenix is shown flying with wings outstretched, rising into a blue and yellow smoke-filled sky. Below the phoenix are three black buildings with yellow and red flames and figures running to escape the flames. On the left side of the print, a ghoulish face appears from behind a building and many small figures leap or float into the green and yellow flames and smoke. The ground at the bottom of the print is green, red, and blue. Inscribed in pencil at the bottom left corner beneath the image is [37/100 Phoenix Ascending], with the artist’s signature [James L. Wells] at the bottom right.

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