The bold colors and repeating geometric forms created by the rows of shotgun houses in this image reference designs in African textiles. The four large, powerful women seem to hold up the houses with their heads alone. Representative of the seasons, each woman is accompanied by domestic symbols: the light bulb for the winter and the washbasin for spring cleaning. The cast-iron cooking pots are African symbols of nurturing and womanhood.  

The turtles represent the ancient, cross-cultural creation myth in which Mother Turtle holds up the world on her shell. She represents the land and is also a sign of health and stability. Taken together, the symbols in this print suggest the strength and foundational importance of Black women to the continuity of culture, community, and society.

John Anansa Thomas Biggers (1924–2001), Four Seasons. Lithograph, 1990. 24 × 34 in. (60.9 × 86.4 cm). Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Lay American Art Fund, 2002.14. On view in Gallery 1 in Africa Unmasked.