The Canyon

Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Canyon, n.d., oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.183
Copied Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Canyon, n.d., oil on canvas, 1613 in. (40.6 x33.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.183
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Artwork Details

Title
The Canyon
Date
n.d.
Dimensions
1613 in. (40.6 x33.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Landscape — canyon
Object Number
1983.95.183

Artwork Description

This barren landscape suggests a scene that Henry Ossawa Tanner probably saw while in the Middle East in 1897 or 1898. The clear blue sky that appears through the opening of the deep canyon evokes a hot, sunny day in the desert region. Tanner applied thick paint and left his brushstrokes visible in order to convey the canyon’s rough terrain.