Through the packet, Lucretia caught my attention because she was one of the few female slaves who were escaping. Her pregnancy was a powerful emphasis on her feminine aspects, which attracted me to choose her as a model of freedom. Characterized as an Angel in my artwork, the slave Lucretia is a symbol of freedom. She is not limited to the ground as with other humans since she has wings; she is not like a caged bird, since she has the entire night sky to soar across.

Lucretia’s unborn child is shown looking up at her behind a wall. This child, bare-footed and wearing a simple dress, will most likely be subject to slavery soon after she is born. However, since her mother has escaped to try her chance at freedom, she is looking towards her mother, seeking out the freedom that can be so close, yet so far (she must earn her own wings).

The setting of the artwork in a late 1700s city at night represents the environment that many slaves had to escape through. The bright, yellow light in the windows of each house symbolizes the small light in everyone—there is daylight that glows fiercely in the night. This is a strength that helps the slaves to escape to their freedom. Lucretia sees these bright lights motivate her even in the darkest of times.

The North Star by the side of Lucretia is yet another light and the star that many later slaves will use as a guide to their freedom. Thus, this star is another representation of freedom, or the soon to come freedom, that slaves hope to achieve through their grueling ordeals.