The Two Disciples at the Tomb
Henry Ossawa Tanner
c. 1906
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
129.5 × 105.7 cm (51 × 41 7/8 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
87643
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Working in Paris, Henry Ossawa Tanner grounded his portrayal of a biblical scene in the thoughtful, individual expressions of the figures. The Two Disciples at the Tomb depicts an event from the Gospel of Saint John in which Peter and John arrive at Christ’s empty tomb. The bearded Peter looks downward with a somber gaze, but John appears transfixed, his face bathed in a golden light that signifies the presence of Christ’s spirit. The son of a prominent minister of the African Methodist Episcopa...