Spinning by Firelight – The Boyhood of George Washington Gray (1894) by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Spinning by Firelight - The Boyhood of George Washington Gray - Henry Ossawa Tanner - 1894

Artwork Information

TitleSpinning by Firelight - The Boyhood of George Washington Gray
ArtistHenry Ossawa Tanner
Date1894
Art MovementRealism

About Spinning by Firelight - The Boyhood of George Washington Gray

The artwork titled “Spinning by Firelight – The Boyhood of George Washington Gray,” created by the artist Henry Ossawa Tanner in 1894, belongs to the Realism art movement and represents the genre of genre painting.

The artwork portrays an intimate and serene domestic scene, filled with a warm atmosphere evoked by the firelight illuminating the figures and objects around it. At the forefront, a woman is engaged in spinning, her attention concentrated on the task at hand, while a young boy, perhaps George Washington Gray, tends to the fire, ensuring it remains alight. The setting is a modest, yet cozy interior, characterized by plain wooden floors and a sparse arrangement of furniture, conveying a sense of simplicity and homeliness. The subtle interplay of light and shadow and the meticulous depiction of the characters’ activities reflect Tanner’s adept skill in capturing everyday life and imbuing it with a palpable sense of realism.

Other Artwork from Henry Ossawa Tanner

More Realism Artwork

Scroll to Top