The Canyon

Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Canyon, n.d., oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.183
Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Canyon, n.d., oil on canvas, 16 x 13 in. (40.6 x33.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.183
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Artwork Details

Title
The Canyon
Artist
Date
n.d.
Location
Dimensions
16 x 13 in. (40.6 x33.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — canyon
Object Number
1983.95.183
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1983.95.183

Artwork Description

This barren landscape suggests a scene that Henry Ossawa Tanner probably saw while in the Middle East in 1897 or 1898. The clear blue sky that appears through the opening of the deep canyon evokes a hot, sunny day in the desert region. Tanner applied thick paint and left his brushstrokes visible in order to convey the canyon’s rough terrain.

Works by this artist (67 items)

View all artworks
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Study, Christ Washing the Feet of the Disciples, ca. 1905, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.186
Study, Christ Washing the Feet of the Disciples
Artist
Dateca. 1905
oil on plywood
On view
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Untitled, n.d., oil on wood panel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.188B
Untitled
Artist
Daten.d.
oil on wood panel
On view
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Study for Moses and the Burning Bush, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jesse O. Tanner, 1983.95.207B
Study for Moses and the Burning Bush
Artist
oil on canvas
On view
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
Study for Christ and Nicodemus on a Rooftop
Artist
Dateca. 1923
oil on wood panel
On view

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