Profile of a Woman’s Head

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Profile of a Woman's Head, n.d., oil on wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.201
Copied 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
Free to use

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
  • Dress — accessory — scarf
  • Portrait female — unidentified — profile
Object Number
1983.95.201
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/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.