Author ORCID Identifier

Douglas Winiarski: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1847-1158

Abstract

"The Holy City is one of the iconic images of the “New Era” of “Mother’s work" —come to be called—that began in 1837 and lasted into the 1850s. Nearly three feet tall and two feet wide, the large gift drawing depicts a city divided between a rectangular inner precinct and four, half-moon-shaped suburbs. The inspired Shaker visionist who drew The Holy City began by outlining the plan in graphite, using a compass and straight edge, then tracing the lines in black ink. A double line filled with a dark cyan watercolor wash creates the square inner walls of the city; a double wash of cyan and charcoal gray marks the round outer ramparts. A series of gates punctuates both. Inside the walls, carefully lined squares, circles, rectangles, and octagons represent buildings, temples, plazas, gardens, and fountains. Each bears a number keyed to an unusual inspired manuscript entitled “Explanation of the Holy City, with its various parts and appendixes pointed out,” which describes the features in the city. Additional colors—most notably yellow for avenues paved with gold—provide visual interest, while a branching sky-blue river frames the entire composition."

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2025

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