Sister Gertrude Morgan.
Jesus Betrayed By A Kiss.
Possibly signed, titled.
Not dated.
Acrylic, crayon and graphite on found cardboard.
Image is 12.25"w x 6.75" high.
Frame is 20"w x 16"h.
Great condition with minor surface dirt, losses and stains with original nail hole for hanging.
Exhibited: New Orleans Museum of Art, Sister Gertrude Morgan, 1988.
Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, What a Wonderful World, 2003.
Provenance: Allen Jaffe.
Gasperi Folk Art Gallery, New Orleans.
Collection of William A. (Bill) Fagaly (1938-2021), New Orleans, 1988.
The Mike Dale Collection.
Est.$3,000-$5,000.
Ship: $55

Sister Gertrude Morgan came to New Orleans in 1939, eventually landing at her Everlasting Gospel Mission at 5444 North Dorgenois in the Lower Ninth Ward. Morgan did not begin to paint until the age of 56. She became a well known figure on the streets of the French Quarter, where she painted her very personal interpretations of the scriptures, preached the Gospel, and sang in a deep, loud voice, often accompanying herself with a guitar or tambourine. Sister Gertrude considered her art and her testimony as tools for spreading the word of God.

Biblical text is often an integral part of her work, as with the painting offered here. Inscribed on the back of the painting in pencil is the following text: "St. Matthew 26:47 The Betrayal--Seldom do we realize that there are still those, like Judas, who betray the Christ with a kiss. By our love for God and our faith in him. By our loyalty and willingness to serve him in all things do we stand as disciples of Christ in word and in deed."

William Fagaly, whose collection this painting comes from, served for fifty years as curator of African art, contemporary art, and self-taught art at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), also serving as assistant director for over 20 years. Fagaly knew Sister Gertrude personally and was considered one of the foremost authorities on her work. He organized the exhibition Tools of Her Ministry: The Art of Sister Gertrude Morgan, which opened at the newly constructed American Folk Art Museum in New York in late February 2004, and wrote the book accompanying the exhibition, the first monograph on Morgan's work. The exhibition travelled to NOMA in November of 2004.