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, 16 x 13 in. (40.6 x33.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.183
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
The Canyon
Artist
Date
n.d.
Location
Dimensions
16 x 13 in. (40.6 x33.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — canyon
Object Number
1983.95.183
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/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.