Palace of Justice, Tangier

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Palace of Justice, Tangier, ca. 1912-1913, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Baxter, 1970.67
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Palace of Justice, Tangier, ca. 1912-1913, oil on canvas, 25 5⁄8 x 31 7⁄8 in. (65.1 x 81.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Baxter, 1970.67
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Artwork Details

Title
Palace of Justice, Tangier
Artist
Date
ca. 1912-1913
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
25 5⁄8 x 31 7⁄8 in. (65.1 x 81.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Baxter
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Cityscape — street
  • Figure group
  • Cityscape — Morocco — Tangier
  • Architecture Exterior — civic — Palace of Justice
  • Architecture Exterior — civic — courthouse
  • Moroccan
Object Number
1970.67
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1970.67

Artwork Description

Henry Ossawa Tanner traveled to Tangier in 1912, but it is unclear if he painted this scene there or in his Paris studio, using postcards of the city. The buildings in the background are the law courts, which once housed Morocco’s royal officials. The figures in the right side of the picture represent Mary and Joseph on the flight into Egypt, one of Tanner’s favorite Bible stories. His expressive brushwork and the blues and purples evoke not only an exotic, distant place, but the world of the spirit as well.

Works by this artist (67 items)

View all artworks
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Study for Moses and the Burning Bush, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jesse O. Tanner, 1983.95.207B
Study for Moses and the Burning Bush
Artist
oil on canvas
On view
Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Canyon, n.d., oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.183
The Canyon
Artist
Daten.d.
oil on canvas
On view
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Study, Christ Washing the Feet of the Disciples, ca. 1905, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.186
Study, Christ Washing the Feet of the Disciples
Artist
Dateca. 1905
oil on plywood
On view
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Untitled, n.d., oil on wood panel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.188B
Untitled
Artist
Daten.d.
oil on wood panel
On view

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Bear Hunting, Prospect Rock
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Miner Kilbourne Kellogg, Man, Azani, n.d., pencil and watercolor on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Martha F. Butler, 1991.56.121
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