Proking Harted Lincoln, circa 1950

In Proking Harted Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln follows an alien or space man down a river. Three all-seeing eyes hover above the men, revealing knowledge and insight to the American leader. Another space figure, an angel and an Egyptian figure occupy the left side of the work, their arms outstretched to the larger men walking towards them. Peter Attie Besharo (1898/9-1960) immigrated to America from Syria around 1912 and settled in Leechburg, Pennsylvania. He worked first as a peddler selling sundries in nearby mining camps, and later as a housepainter. After his death, Besharo’s landlord discovered 69 visionary paintings inside a garage that the artist had rented. The works, which conflate history and religion with time and space travel, are rendered in rich jewel-like colors and articulated with writings.