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Henry Ossawa Tanner, Profile of a Woman's Head, n.d., oil on wood, 14 1⁄8 x 11 3⁄4 in. (35.8 x 30.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.201
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Profile of a Woman’s Head
- Artist
- Date
- n.d.
- Location
- Dimensions
- 14 1⁄8 x 11 3⁄4 in. (35.8 x 30.0 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on wood
- Classifications
- Keywords
- Portrait female — unidentified
- Portrait female — unidentified — profile
- Dress — accessory — scarf
- Object Number
- 1983.95.201
Artwork Description
Henry Ossawa Tanner made many portraits while visiting the Holy Land to use as studies for his religious paintings. In the traditional dress of the Middle East, this woman resembles the images of Christ’s mother that Tanner created, such as Mary from about 1914. Tanner placed the woman against a dark background, a compositional trick that he learned from his teacher Thomas Eakins.