Painting
- Description
- Acrylic on canvas painting created by Steven P. Morello, Jr., son of Steven P. Morello. The painting depicts a self-portrait of the artist as a child, holding up his left arm and reaching towards his father. He has a grief-stricken expression on his face and is wearing a red shirt with "DADDY’S BOY" written on the shirt. Behind the figure are the burning Twin Towers with smoke and flames.
- Historical Notes
- Native New Yorker Steven Morello lived with his wife, Eileen, in Bayonne, New Jersey. They had raised three children. Steven’s pastimes included doing crossword puzzles, playing the lottery, and learning guitar to serenade Eileen with ballads. On September 11, Steven, an office manager for Marsh & McLennan, was working on the North Tower’s 93rd floor. He was 52 years old.
Curator's Comment
Steven P. Morello, Jr. was 30 years old when he created this painting shortly after his father was killed on 9/11. At the time, his father’s death stripped him of his bearings and made him feel vulnerable in the manner of a young boy. Morello recalled, the piece demonstrated how the loss of his father under these awful circumstances caused him to “revert” to childhood. Morello, Jr. had no formal art training and may have made around a dozen paintings in his lifetime. This particular piece was a therapeutic way to visualize his unmoored emotions in the aftermath.
- Accession Number: C.2009.312.1
- Dimensions: 18 in X 24 in X 1.125 in
- Dimensions (Metric): 45.72 cm X 60.96 cm X 2.8575 cm
- Source: Steven Morello, Jr.
- Credit Line: Gift in memory of Steven P. Morello
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