Gateway, Tangier

Before you stands "Gateway, Tangier," a captivating painting by Henry Ossawa Tanner, dating from 1910 to 1920. This exquisite work, part of the Saint Louis Art Museum's collection, measures 38.9 centimeters wide and 46.8 centimeters high. Tanner masterfully captures the essence of a Tangier interior, focusing on a series of arched doorways and passageways that recede into a brightly lit space. The color palette is serene and airy, dominated by soft pastel hues of light blue, green, and white, creating a tranquil atmosphere. His impressionistic brushstrokes, allowing the canvas texture to subtly show through, add to the painting's ethereal quality. Light plays a crucial role, illuminating the back of the scene and casting gentle shadows in the foreground, enhancing the sense of depth and mystery. While figures are present—a cloaked figure possibly wearing a djellaba in the bright light, and a darker, less defined figure seated in the lower left—they are rendered in a highly abstracted manner, contributing to the overall feeling of tranquility and subtle intrigue. The arches, however, are precisely rendered, drawing the viewer's eye into the scene and emphasizing the architectural beauty of the location. The painting doesn't strive for precise realism, but rather evokes the atmosphere and feeling of a specific place and moment in time.