"A shaft of light shines down on a man's bound hands. It also falls on the face of a lion, whose gentle expression conveys both disbelief and respect. This painting by Heny Ossawa Tanner tells the biblical story of Daniel in the lion's den.
Daniel was a Jewish prophet. Persecuted for his faith, he was sent to a certain death: a den of wild lions. The next day, his shocked enemies discovered him alive and unharmed. Awed by this miracle, they released him.
Many other paintings of the same story are filled with danger, high drama and gestures of fervent prayer. But Tanner chose to picture Daniel in quiet meditation. We can barely see his face in the shadows. He stands undisturbed, as if protected by God's light.
Tanner often painted biblical stories with the same, quiet drama."
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art