Phillip Henry Barkdull (1888-1968), Great White Throne, c.1930, oil on canvas, 41 3/8 x 33 ½ inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. Phillip H. Barkdull, 1968.
This Thursday, March 22, marks the birthday of Utah artist Philip Barkdull, who painted this dynamic depiction of the Great White Throne in Zion National Park. The artist visited Zion between 1927 and 1930, an ideal environment in which to hone his vibrant, expressive painting style. Glowing reds, oranges, and golds radiate from the towering rock face and animate the creek below, transforming the towering monolith into a surreal wash of desert light.