Scared Zebra
Dateca. 1990
Artist
Geneva Beavers
MediumAcrylic and sand on canvas
DimensionsFramed: 8 1/4 × 10 1/4in.
Credit LineGift of Susan Buck in memory of Edward A. Chappell
Object number2021.301.1
DescriptionA colorful genre scene depicting three wild dogs/wolves and a frightened zebra.Label TextGeneva Beavers began painting at age 60 and spent the last 24 years of her life creating vivid artworks of animals, both real and imagined. As the youngest of 12 children living on a farm, animals became her closest friends. Beavers spent much of her adulthood raising a family in Chesapeake, Virginia with her husband, Earl, and she only turned to artmaking following her son’s death in a motorcycle accident. It began as a distraction and a form of therapy, but it turned into her full-time hobby. Beavers became active in the regional art scene, receiving high honors and awards at art festivals and juried exhibitions. Her pieces were popular among folk art collectors across the nation, and they continue to be displayed in art centers, galleries, and museums throughout Virginia.Scared Zebra is typical of Beavers’ work in its use of bold patterns and bright colors to depict wildlife. However, the conflict shown among the animals is unique. In this painting, three wild dogs bare their teeth at a zebra with eyes wide and mouth open in fear. Predators and prey coexist in harmony in most of Beavers’ pieces, displaying the idea of a “peaceable kingdom” from the biblical Book of Isaiah. This subject is popular in American folk art, most notably in the paintings of Edward Hicks, whose work is in the museum’s collection as well.
Inscription(s)Written on back of frame: “Edw. Chappell. Wmsbg, Va., bought fr. Geneva Beavers 1995. Framed by her or her husband before purchase.”ProvenancePurchased directly from the artist by the donor's husband.
