To many Black Americans, the image is instantly recognizable. A blue bedroom, a Black woman in a delicate white nightgown rising from sleep. With one slipper on and slumped shoulders, it’s clear she’s exhausted, but still she rises. Her hair is coiled, though her face shows no features, as is the signature of artist Annie Lee, who was raised on Chicago’s South Side. That’s why when singer Lizzo appeared on Saturday Night Live on Dec. 17, her visual tribute to Lee’s iconic painting “Blue Monday” struck a chord, especially with Black women. The tribute caught fire on social media, where SNL viewers have been comparing the performance by Lizzo — in a white nightgown, rising from a bed with a melancholy blue background as she performed “Break Up Twice” — to the famed image in the painting. Although Lee died in 2014, she gave the rights to her art to her grandson, Abe Ilo. Ilo was surprised to hear of Lizzo’s performance referencing his grandmother and “best friend” — especially since it was on his 49th birthday. “It almost felt like a birthday gift from my grandmother on some ethereal plane,” said Ilo, who is an artist based in Texas. Read the full story through the link in our bio. Story: Mariah Rush/Sun-Times Photos: NBC SNL, Abe Ilo