Reverend Howard Finster (1916-2001), born in Valley Head, Alabama, was a Baptist minister whose transformative vision in 1976 led him to dedicate himself to making sacred art. Claiming divine inspiration when “a warm feeling came over me to paint sacred art,” Finster believed painted images could carry the gospel more memorably than spoken sermons. His works are colorful and densely detailed, often covered with handwritten words, especially Bible verses that function as visual sermons. Each painting bears a number, reflecting his belief that God had asked him to create 5,000 works to spread the gospel and his desire to keep account of this spiritual mission.

The Children and the Cheata Plays Together demonstrates Finster’s distinctive fusion of form, narrative, and symbolism. Painted in vivid orange, the elongated animals curve across the surface with rhythmic movement. Rather than appearing as predators, the creatures become gentle companions to children, their presence reinforcing a vision of innocence and redemption, in which creation exists in peaceful balance. The lively forms and repeating patterns first captivate the viewer, then guide the eye toward the handwritten messages that convey Finster’s spiritual purpose. Repetition, both visual and thematic, was central to his practice, allowing him to return to motifs that worked symbolically much like a preacher revisiting a cherished parable. Color, text, and image merge to embody Finster’s vision of sacred purpose and harmony.