Henry Ossawa Tanner, born Pittsburgh, - Study for Portrait of Mrs. Atherton Curtis - n.d. - T-Shirt

A charcoal study by Henry Ossawa Tanner shows a woman in profile, her head resting on one raised hand, drawn as preparation for a finished portrait.

Visual Elements & Composition

The woman faces left, her chin supported by a raised hand, and her dark hair gathered into a full knot at the back. Soft charcoal lines define the structure of the face, the line of the neck and the turn of the shoulder, while much of the surface is left open. A second hand rests at the lower edge of the sheet. The palette is restrained: charcoal grey and dark brown carry the drawing against a warm, parchment-ochre ground with visible staining, and pale skin tones sit quietly within it.

Meaning & Symbolism

The pose is contemplative. The hand supporting the head and the gaze directed away from the viewer suggest quiet reflection rather than formal display. As a study, the sheet records how Tanner settled a composition before committing it to a larger canvas. Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937) was born in Pittsburgh and became one of the first African American artists to achieve international recognition. After training at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, he settled in Paris, where he painted religious scenes such as The Raising of Lazarus alongside portraits of sitters in Europe and America. This drawing reflects the careful draughtsmanship behind that painted work.

Made for the Wearer

A drawing like this rewards a close look, and a tee keeps it at close range, where the profile, the knot of hair and the open charcoal strokes can be read as the artist intended. The composition sits calmly on the chest, letting the quiet pose of the figure carry the design rather than competing with it.