Module 3 Artwork Analysis
Henry Ossawa
Tanner, The Banjo Lesson, 1893, oil on canvas, 49 × 35.5 inches
/ 124.5 × 90.2 cm (Hampton University Museum, Hampton, VA)
This is
an oil on canvas painting by Henry Ossawa Tanner. This art piece was done in
1893 and now resides at the Hampton University Museum in Hampton, Virginia. Initial
thoughts on this photo are there is a spot light on what appears to be a dad
and his son. The light that appears to be above them reminds me of the light
that shine directly down on you at a restaurant booth. The main subject of this
photo is a young boy and a older man. They sit on a old worn wood stool. The
older man is teaching the young boy how to play the banjo. They sit in a common
living area, The walls faded white and floors old worn wood. The front of the art
piece is darkened, shadows hit the boy’s face. Behind them the wall and cloths
sitting on a table are lit up by candle lighting, although you can not see the
candle as it is blocked by the older man. The colors in this art are bland. The
brightest color being the cloth lighting up with a yellow color from the
candle.
Moving on to the analytical side of
the painting the artist gives the painting a variety of textures. The wall
behind them is very scratchy looking perhaps this is from the array of light
from the candle. The wood floor is also made where you can see its rough edges
and grains. The clothes of the people have strong creases. I think this gives the
painting a overall feeling of worn and dated. The edges of this art piece are
almost not existent. They are faint enough so you can distinguish between the
different objects in the area but undefined enough where the photo flows together.
This makes the piece seem as a whole instead of multiple pieces in one
painting.
The man and boy seem tired, like they have been working hard but still manage to come together and enjoy the banjo. The Image is a strong one as it seems like it is a father teaching his son about the banjo and has forgotten about his surrounding and everything else in life. To put it simply only that moment that’s the only thing that mattered.
Wooldridge, James. Indians of Virginia. Smarthistory. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, n.d. https://smarthistory.org/seeing-america-2/america-in-world/.
Noah,
ReplyDeleteI really like how descriptive your artwork analysis is! You spoke a lot about the light in this painting and how well the artist took it into account, not seeing the candle but know it is there for example. I agree that the colours are very bland but I think this adds to worn and dated few of the picture that you mention later in your analysis. It also gives the painting a sense of simplicity and is fitting for the message the painting is giving off, just a man teaching his son banjo.
Your description of this photo is spot on. I could have seen the photo in my head just based on what you described. I enjoy this picture too because it feels like time is stopped during this music lesson and I feel like I can hear the twang of the banjo. I would like to know about the artist and the era surrounding this photo as well.
ReplyDeleteNoah,
ReplyDeleteI am personally a fan of artwork that contains other forms of art or creativity within the actual piece of art itself. This painting is very interesting I can also agree with the fact that with the many shades of light and dark that you can create a sense of where they are located within the room and the different sources of light located within the room. Even with that being said there is a sense of gloominess almost describing a sad reasoning for playing the music. Do you feel like this could have been based off a personal experience by the artist?