Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Oil Painting

1951

Oil on Masonite

This beautiful oil painting gives us a visual interpretation of a spiritual entitled Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. This song is reported to be one of two that Harriet Tubman sang as a way of letting enslaved friends and family know that it was soon time to make their escape. Ruth Starr Rose listened to the words of her friends as they described what the spirituals meant to them. Her creations were based on their interpretations. A spiritual is a song inspired by a blending of African traditions with the newly found Hebrew-Christian traditions. Spirituals were very important for people of color, specifically enslaved persons on the Eastern Shore. Singing while working helped to break the monotony of hard labor, sorrow, and weariness by creating a shared, communal experience. These songs also reveal a strong sense of faith, stamina, hope and assurance of a better life. Spirituals such as Swing Low, Sweet Chariot have been passed on for generations and are still sung today.