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Salome by Henry Ossawa Tanner / American Art
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Salome

ca. 1900 Henry Ossawa Tanner Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1859 Died: Paris, France 1937 oil on canvas 45 7/8 x 35 1/4 in. (116.5 x 89.4 cm.) Smithsonian American Art Museum Gift of Jesse O. Tanner 1983.95.207A Smithsonian American Art Museum
3rd Floor, Luce Foundation Center



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Salome



Salome stands out from Henry Ossawa Tanner's other religious images, which are more conservative than this provocative painting. Salome's demand for the head of John the Baptist is one of the most lurid stories in the Bible. She dances for her stepfather, who rewards her beauty by giving her the prophet’s head on a platter. Here, Tanner presented Salome in a revealing gown, emphasizing her sensuality. The yellow shape in the lower left of the image, marked with red paint, suggests the corpse of John the Baptist.

For more information about this work visit the Luce Foundation Center.


Keywords

Religion - New Testament - Salome

painting

paint - oil

fabric - canvas

About Henry Ossawa Tanner

Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1859 Died: Paris, France 1937

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Henry Ossawa Tanner

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