Fishermen at Sea

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Fishermen at Sea, ca. 1913, oil on canvas, 46 x 35 ¹⁄₄ in. (116.9 x 89.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jesse O. Tanner, 1983.95.215

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Artwork Details

Title: Fishermen at Sea
Artist: Henry Ossawa Tanner
Date: ca. 1913
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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2nd Floor
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East Wing
Dimensions: 46 x 35 ¹⁄₄ in. (116.9 x 89.5 cm.)
Credit Line: Gift of Jesse O. Tanner
Mediums: oil
Mediums Description: oil on canvas
Classifications: Painting
Subjects: Figure group — male
Occupation — industry — fishing
Waterscape — sea
Architecture — boat — sailboat
Object Number: 1983.95.215
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1983.95.215

Artwork Description

Conservators discovered this painting on the back of Henry Ossawa Tanner’s Salome during restoration. Early in his career, Tanner painted marine scenes that showed man’s struggle with the sea, but by 1895 he was creating mostly religious works. In this painting, Tanner depicted a passage described in the book of Matthew: "But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary." The surging sea pushes the boat to an almost vertical position, revealing the fishermen that Tanner rendered as dabs of paint.