Mary, Seated by Lamplight in a Dim Interior

A woman in a pale headscarf and loose gown sits on the edge of a bed in a dim, shadowy room, cupping a small glowing light in her hands. The soft lamplight picks out her face and the folds of her cloth against deep blue-green darkness. Loose, textured brushwork in oil on canvas builds a quiet, nocturnal interior.

Artist

Henry Ossawa Tanner

Date

ca. 1914

Medium

oil on canvas

Source

Smithsonian (Smithsonian American Art Museum)

Size

2260 × 3000 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian American Art Museum