The Thankful Poor by Henry Ossawa Tanner (Interpretation and Analysis)

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The Thankful Poor
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year, many Americans are celebrating the holiday in unusual ways, unable to participate in large gatherings. However, that doesn’t change the fact that it is an important day of gratitude for many of us, and Henry Ossawa Tanner’s masterpiece The Thankful Poor is the quintessential image of gratitude in American culture.

To my mind, Tanner’s style can be best described as realism with a painterly, almost Romantic style. Tanner primarily focused on scenes of everyday life and religious paintings; his work was known and renowned around the world. Significantly, he was also one of the first African-American painters to be celebrated internationally.

The Thankful Poor depicts a man and a boy, perhaps a father and son, sitting down to a table that holds several empty plates. Although they don’t have much, the two express their gratitude through prayer. The piece captures the hardships faced by everyday, working Americans—especially African-Americans—and celebrates the strength and dignity with which they face their troubles. Genre scenes that depict everyday life were quite common in Tanner’s time; however, he handles them with a compassion and sensitivity that is rare and deeply moving.

I hope this painting helps you celebrate your Thanksgiving!

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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