Henry Ossawa Tanner was thirty-four years old when he made a visit back to Philadelphia from France in 1893. During this visit, Tanner painted The Banjo Lesson. It is an oil on canvas painting that depicts an older gentleman teaching a child how to play the banjo. The focus point of the painting is where the two sources of light meet. This light illuminates the child learning to play the banjo. The dimensions of this painting are 49 x 35.5 inches, (124.5 x 90.2 centimeters). Currently the painting is held in the Hampton University Museum in Hampton, Virginia. Within the painting, there are two light sources. One is from an unseen window and the other is from a fireplace to the right of the painting. The light illuminates and brings out the details within the two people. The unlit areas have less detail and are harder to notice what you are looking that. Tanner does this to emphasize…show more content… The Earth toned colors that Tanner used are of great importance. It shows the condition of the home and that the people aren’t well dressed. The cool colors on the man shows that he represents the past. The warm light on the child represents the future. These tones also help show the emotion within the atmosphere of the painting. It brings out the concentration that the boy has on learning how to play the banjo. Having the boy be the focus point also shows the importance of the painting. It helps convey the importance of the boy learning the banjo. Tanner includes many minor, but important details within the painting. The cabin is small and doesn’t have much within it. The floor boards are also unfinished. These would make it seem that they man isn’t that wealthy, but he does have a few novelty items. He has a well-made banjo, a hat, a pair of shoes, and a pipe. The banjo seems to be of great importance to him because he sets his other novelties aside to help the child learn how to play the
