Saint Takla Haymanot
Artist
Berhanemeskel Fisseha (Ethiopian, b. 1947)Date
1998Medium
Paint on clothDimensions
Work : 34 1/2 x 19 1/2 in. (87.63 x 49.53 cm)Credit Line
Gift of Neal and Elizabeth SobaniaObject Number
2018.25.5Label
Takla Haymanot was a 13th-century Ethiopian monk who is said to have stood in prayer on one leg for such a long time that his other leg fell off. Another legend says that when a rope snapped while Takla Haymanot was climbing down from Debre Damo, God saved him by giving him wings so that he could fly safely to the ground. Both stories are referenced in this painting, which portrays the saint with wings and only one foot.