Henry Ossawa Tanner painted “The Annunciation” soon after returning to Paris from a trip
Henry Ossawa Tanner painted “The Annunciation” soon after returning to Paris from a trip to Egypt and Palestine in 1897. The son of a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Tanner specialized in religious subjects and wanted to experience the people, culture, and architecture of the Holy Land. In this painting Tanner has given a familiar narrative unconventional treatment by weaving together ancient and modern, and spiritual and material threads into his compelling image. Mary becomes a relatable young woman, stunned by the apparition that appears before her. A success at the Paris Salon in 1898, the painting was shown the next year in Philadelphia, where it was purchased for the museum. Among the first contemporary American paintings acquired for the collection, it was also the first of Tanner’s works to enter a museum in the United States. See this highlight of our collection on view in our American galleries.“The Annunciation,” 1898, by Henry Ossawa Tanner -- source link
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