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Tanner favored religious subjects, in part because of his family’s strong spiritual convictions and professional ties to the church. The Disciples See Christ Walking on the Water interprets the Gospel of Matthew (14:24-28):

 

But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightaway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

 

Rather than making Jesus the focus of the composition, Tanner highlights both the mystical atmosphere and the Apostles’ startled reactions to the scene. The arrangement is cropped below the horizon line which allows for the entire event to happen in the monochromatic expanse of the water, enhancing the uncanny tone of the work. Interestingly, Tanner portrays the sea as calm, although the Gospel describes it as “tossed with waves” because he preferred meditative scenes. In the boat, each Apostle poses with expressive tension: Peter, the tallest figure, lowers his head and appears to be either extending his arms in acceptance or perhaps grasping the rigging for security, another kneels in prayer yet arches backwards with trepidation, and the figures in the stern cower and cover their eyes. Christ is depicted as a ghostly column of light in the upper left corner of the painting whose path is lit by the moon’s reflection on the sea.

 

Alongside this compelling narrative, the painting is one the strongest examples of Tanner’s masterful use of color. The scene plays out in endless variations of blue. The thick layers of paint add a rich texture to the surface, and add even more depth and shading to the water, sky, and figures.


Exhibition History"Commitment, Community and Controversy: The Des Moines Art Center Collections," Des Moines Art Center, Jan. 24 - May 10, 1998

"ACROSS CONTINENTS AND CULTURES: THE ART AND LIFE OF HENRY OSSAWA TANNER" Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, June 25 - Aug. 20, 1995; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX, Sept. 14 - Dec. 31, 1995; Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, IL, Jan. 12 - Apr. 28, 1996

"Henry Ossawa Tanner 1859 - 1937," Philadelphia Museum of Art, Jan. 20 - Apr. 14, 1991; (Circulated to: The Detroit Institute of Arts: May 12 - Aug. 4, 1991; The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA, Sept. 17 - Nov. 24, 1991; The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco (De Young), Dec. 15, 1991 - Mar. 1, 1992)

"Hidden Heritage: Afro-American Art, 1800-1950," organized by the Bellevue Art Museum, Washington, and the Art Museum Association of American, Bellevue Art Museum, Washington, Sept. 14 - Nov. 10, 1985; (Circulated to: The Bronx Museum of Art, New York, Jan. 13 - Mar. 10, 1986; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Apr. 7 - June 2, 1986; Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut, July 4 - Aug. 31, 1986; The Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, North Carolina, Sept. 22 - Nov. 17, 1986; San Antonio Museum of Art, Texas, Dec. 15, 1986 - Feb. 9, 1987; Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio Mar. 8 - May 3, 1987; Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland, June 1 - July 27, 1987; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Aug. 23 - Oct. 18, 1987; Oklahoma Museum of Art, Oklahoma City, Nov. 15, 1987 - Jan, 1988)

"Three Nineteenth Century Afro-American Artists," Cedar Rapids Art Center, Mar. 9 - Apr. 23, 1980

"Painting in the Collection of the Des Moines Association of Fine Arts," 610 Walnut Street, Des Moines, Dec. 15, 1939 - Jan. 5, 1940

"Henry O. Tanner," Thurber's Gallery, Chicago, 1911

"Religious Paintings by the Distinguished American Artist Mr. Henry O. Tanner" American Art Galleries, New York, Dec. 15 - 25, 1908, no. 11
Published References"Paintings in the Collection of the Des Moines Association of Fine Arts," 610 Walnut Street, Des Moines, 1939, exh. cat. no.27

David C. Driskel, "Hidden Heritage: Afro-American Art, 1800 - 1950," Bellevue Art Museum, Washington and Art Museum Association of America, 1985, exh. cat. no.27, p.93

AN UNCOMMON VISION: THE DES MOINES ART CENTER, Des Moines Art Center, 1998, ref. pp.26, 28 & 272, color detail p.272, color ill. p.273

DMAC News, May/June 1995, p.6

DES MOINES ART CENTER: SELECTED PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES AND WORKS ON PAPER, Des Moines Art Center, 1985, ref. & b/w ill. p.207, pl.137

"Three Nineteenth Century Afro-American Artists," Cedar Rapids Art Center, 1980, exh. cat. no.8

"After Whistler: The Artist and His Influence on American Painting", The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, 2003, pg.230-230, Fig.61.

"Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit" Edited by Anna O. Marley, Pennsylvania Acadamy of ther Fine Arts, Philadelphia, and University of California Press, 2012, color ill. pg. 222

"Nocturne,", Helene Valance, Trans. by Jane Marie Todd, Yale University Press, 2018
DimensionsFrame: 62 3/4 × 53 × 2 3/4 in. (159.4 × 134.6 × 7 cm)
Image (visible): 49 3/4 × 39 7/8 in. (126.4 × 101.3 cm)
Accession Number 1921.1
Classificationspainting
CopyrightPublic Domain
SignedH.O. Tanner (l,r oil paint)
ProvenanceArtist, France; Des Moines Association of Fine Arts [purchased from the previous, 1921]; Des Moines Art Center [gift from the previous, 1941]

Images (1)

Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines

Audio (1)

The Disciples See Christ Walking on the Water
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines