Daniel in the Lions' Den

Tanner first achieved recognition at the Paris Salon of 1896 with his painting Daniel in the Lions’ Den. Although the museum’s painting of the same title has been often mistaken for the painting shown in the 1896 Salon, it is a similar, but later version. In both paintings Tanner delineated an Old Testament story set during the reign of King Darius in ancient Persia (Dan. 6:16-24). Tanner infused the drama of Daniel’s unjust imprisonment with a quiet spirituality. The earlier canvas was Tanner’s first major religious painting and indicated the direction that his art would take. The choice of a religious subject may have been inspired initially by his teacher Laurens, who was noted for dramatic biblical paintings. Tanner’s depiction of a dark prison cell, dramatically lit by evening light streaming through a high window, may have also come from Laurens, whose Le Grand Inquisiteur chez les rois catholiques, 1886 (Philadelphia Museum of Art) -- a painting also about an unjust imprisonment -- is similar in composition and lighting. It is probably not coincidental that Tanner owned a reproduction of the Laurens painting and kept it throughout his career (it is among the Tanner Papers). Read more (Curator Notes)