The Banjo Lesson
1893
by Henry Ossawa Tanner
Painting
wikiart.org
Public Domain
The artist, Henry Ossawa Tanner, wanted to depict African Americans with grace and dignity.
A young boy practices the banjo in his elder's lap. The two figures sit in a modest room and are illuminated by the light of a fire. The artist, Henry Ossawa Tanner, wanted to depict African Americans with grace and dignity. Being the son of a former slave, minister, and abolitionist, Tanner found it important to use his artistic talents to highlight the promise of the African American community in a post-civil war America.
Page created on 2/7/2021 11:07:33 PM
Last edited 2/8/2021 9:43:29 PM
