The Thankful Poor 1894-Henry Ossawa Tanner
Introduction
Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937) was a reputable African American realistic painter and an artist who specialized in the naturalist genre and biblical themes. The expatriate was internationally acclaimed in America and Europe in the early twentieth century. He had a strong desire to portray the lives of a common person in his artwork. Tanner was born in 1859 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and most of his early life was spent at Philadelphia together with his family. He was brought up with Christian morals since his father was a bishop. The spirituality he was familiar with was reflected in his artwork. He studied at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from eighteen seventy nine to eighteen eighty five being tutored by Thomas Eakins. He was the sole black student and was subjected to racism but never gave up his urge to master his artistic skills. He later moved to Europe and studied at Academie Julan in Paris where there was no racism. Thus, he based his home in France although he could travel to the United States at his pleasure. His artwork clearly shows the cultural diversity he went through, the experiences with Eakins, his tutor and his interactions with French painters. His black genre such as one portrayed in The Thankful Poor (1894) oil on canvass, expressed his efforts in reestablishing respect and pride to blacks in which he was a part of. This piece of art points the realistic style that was copied from Eakins. It also emphasizes the French genre which figure peasants and their only source of hope as emanating from the spiritual powers. This not only helped in uplifting the blacks but also made a significant contribution in the art world. Although he never depicted blacks again in his work because he turned to biblical themes, The Thankful Poor marks the need for a revolutionary change for the poor Afro-Americans (Juang 1041).
The Thankful Poor
The Thankful Poor (1894) by Henry Ossawa Tanner (Kleiner 640)
The Thankful Poor depiction was displayed in Philadelphia Museum of Art for a number of years before it was sold in 1983 to Bill Cosby for two fifty thousand U.S dollars (Graves 88). The painting on the canvas depicts in detail a domestic setup through flashes of light and color, an aged black male or rather, a grandfather with a small boy who could be his son or grandson. The two seems to be connected by natural and social intimacy and are sited at the dinner table which is covered neatly with a table cloth with barely anything to eat for supper, yet are thankful. The boy is sited on the right side and appears to emulate the elderly man while the old man is sited on the opposite side, folding his hands. The two have their heads bowed down as they silently say their prayers of thanksgiving for what they already possess. They are poor since the boy is portrayed as wearing ragged outfit while the old man has rough hands with barely anything to eat on the table. Loose flashes of light and paint illuminate other objects giving the depiction a reverent spirit. The artist utilizes deep shadows which emphasize on the extent of humbleness and concentration of the two parties. There is golden light that flows into the room from the window that highlights the beauty and the silent way of offering thanks giving from the young boy. The image is filled with sanctity which shows the artist motive to express biblical themes through the painting (Kleiner 640). The painting shows nobleness of the peasants in having to experience with dignity the encounters of slavery and discrimination. It ironically implies gentleness as it provokes the common blacks’ stereotypes that lived in the contemporary society to emphasize the seriousness that characterized their lives.
Conclusion
In my opinion, the piece of art carries an important message since it emphasizes the need to acknowledge humbly that there is a future for blacks to acquire freedoms and enjoy plenty. This not only recognizes the historic impoverishment as a way of life for the black people, but also the only source of comfort and strength to carry on that emanated not from physical but spiritual pursuits. Meekness and being thankful goes hand in hand in order to make a lasting impression. Afro-Americans took advantage of the values in the nineteenth century for them to reap favors that would eventually help them overcome racial disparity. It is right to refer to Henry Ossawa Tanner as the best talented black artist of his time. From the paint, the artist applies the modern use of painting techniques to convey the deep emotional poise of results of being a discriminated race in the society. The artist leads by example to acknowledge the hardships that his own race was experiencing at the time, by offering the parties a monumental simplicity. Henry Ossawa Tanner remains a legend and his work serves as a tribute since he is the greatest painter of all time and a man who embraced humanity through his artistic style.
Works Cited:
Graves, Earl. Black enterprise. “ Investments.” Vol.17, No. 5. December, 1986. Print.
Juang, Richard. Africa and the Americas: Culture, Politics and history: A Multidisciplinary encyclopedia. California: ABC-CLIO, Inc. 2008. Print.
Kleiner, Fred. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: The western Perspective. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 2010. Print.
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