Adventures in Art History Art Adventures    

Lesson 27: The Annunciation to the Shepherds

by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Directions

Study the painting for one week.

Over the week:

• Look at the painting.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Read about the artist.
• Practice reciting the names of the artist and the painting.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Annunciation means 'an announcement.' In 'The Annunciation to the Shepherds,' Tanner painted the glowing angel, Gabriel, hovering above the ground and announcing the news of the birth of the baby Jesus to a group of humble shepherds. The shepherds appear to be in awe of the angel. The dim light of the small fire is insignificant compared to the holy light of the angel.

Vocabulary

Annunciation: An announcement.
Shepherd: A person who tends sheep.
Gabriel: An angel in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths who acts as a messenger of God.
Holy: Sacred, devoted, and spiritual.

Concepts

Henry Ossawa Tanner painted 'The Annunciation to the Shepherds.'

1. Henry Ossawa Tanner was born in 1859 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. See his picture below.

2. Find Tanner's state of birth (PA) on the map of the continental United States below.

3. His father was a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His mother was born a slave, but escaped through the Underground Railroad to the North.
4. He studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he was the only black student. As a painter, Tanner was considered a realist, painting things as they are collectively perceived.
5. Tanner suffered mental anguish from the racism he experienced in America, which he described in his autobiography. Consequently, he left America for Paris, France, where he lived for the remainder of his life. Find France on the map of Europe below.

6. He died in 1937 in Paris, France at the age of 77.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

During the week, study the painting and find the following:

• Angel Gabriel
• Halo
• Shepherds
• Fire Pit
• Gate

Activity 2: Narrate the Painting

• After studying the painting, narrate the scene shown in the painting aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Complete Vocabulary Activities

• While studying the vocabulary words, point them out in the painting.
• Define each of the vocabulary words in your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Painting   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 35 of 'Kindergarten Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the painting?

1 / 4

Answer 1

The angel Gabriel and the shepherds.

1 / 4

Question 2

What is Gabriel doing?

2 / 4

Answer 2

Telling the shepherds about the birth of the baby Jesus.

2 / 4

Question 3

What are the shepherds doing?

3 / 4

Answer 3

Watching in awe while listening to Gabriel.

3 / 4

Question 4

What is the setting of the painting?

4 / 4

Answer 4

Outdoors in a fenced enclosure next to a structure.

4 / 4

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the painting? The angel Gabriel and the shepherds.
2. What is Gabriel doing? Telling the shepherds about the birth of the baby Jesus.
3. What are the shepherds doing? Watching in awe while listening to Gabriel.
4. What is the setting of the painting? Outdoors in a fenced enclosure next to a structure.

References

'Henry Ossawa Tanner.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.