Study for Christ and Nicodemus on a Rooftop

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Study for Christ and Nicodemus on a Rooftop, ca. 1923, oil on wood panel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.188A
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Study for Christ and Nicodemus on a Rooftop, ca. 1923, oil on wood panel, 9 1⁄2 x 13 in. (24.0 x 33.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.188A
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Study for Christ and Nicodemus on a Rooftop
Artist
Date
ca. 1923
Location
Dimensions
9 1⁄2 x 13 in. (24.0 x 33.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on wood panel
Classifications
Subjects
  • Religion — New Testament — Nicodemus
  • Religion — New Testament — Christ
Object Number
1983.95.188A
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1983.95.188A

Artwork Description

This study for Christ and Nicodemus on a Rooftop made Henry Ossawa Tanner's reputation. The story of Nicodemus visiting Christ at night spoke to African American worship habits that Tanner remembered from his youth: After emancipation, freed slaves continued to meet at night, as they had done when their masters had forbidden them to read the Bible (Mosby, Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1991).

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Breakdown with Flat Tire
Artist
Dateca. 1940-1941
oil on plywood
On view
William H. Johnson, Chain Gang, ca. 1939, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.675
Chain Gang
Artist
Dateca. 1939
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William H. Johnson, Ferry Boat Trip, ca. 1943-1944, oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.1011
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Artist
Dateca. 1943-1944
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William H. Johnson, For India and China, ca. 1944-1945, oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.662
For India and China
Artist
Dateca. 1944-1945
oil on paperboard
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