Mary

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Mary, ca. 1914, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Dorothy L. McGuire, 1991.102
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Mary, ca. 1914, oil on canvas, 45 1⁄2 x 34 3⁄4 in. (115.5 x 88.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Dorothy L. McGuire, 1991.102
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Artwork Details

Title
Mary
Artist
Date
ca. 1914
Location
Dimensions
45 1⁄2 x 34 3⁄4 in. (115.5 x 88.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Dorothy L. McGuire
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Religion — New Testament — Mary
Object Number
1991.102
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1991.102

Artwork Description

Henry Ossawa Tanner saw Mary, mother of Jesus, as a symbol of faith and fortitude. He painted many images of her and created this particular work during a difficult and trying time in his life. In 1914, the year his mother died, the outbreak of World War I forced his family to flee France for England. In this scene, Mary awaits the arrival of the angel who will tell her that she bears the Son of God. The glowing lamp, a symbol of God’s presence, adds mystery and suspense to the painting.

Works by this artist (7 items)

View all artworks
Cecilia Beaux, Georges Clemenceau, 1920, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the National Art Committee, 1923.6.5
Georges Clemenceau
Artist
Date1920
oil on canvas
On view
Cecilia Beaux, Man with the Cat (Henry Sturgis Drinker), 1898, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design, 1952.10.1
Man with the Cat (Henry Sturgis Drinker)
Artist
Date1898
oil on canvas
On view
Cecilia Beaux, Admiral Sir David Beatty, Lord Beatty, ca. 1920, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the National Art Committee, 1923.6.4
Admiral Sir David Beatty, Lord Beatty
Artist
Dateca. 1920
oil on canvas
Not on view
Cecilia Beaux, Henry Wolf, Reverie, 1894, photomechanical wood engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 1973.130.98
Reverie
Artist
Date1894
photomechanical wood engraving on paper
Not on view