Study for The Thankful Poor

Oil on canvas study for Tanner’s 1894 painting, The Thankful Poor. At a table covered by a white tablecloth sit two African American figures in profile, one an elderly, bearded man and the other a boy. Both bow their heads, seemingly in prayer; the older man clasps his hands in front of his face. On the table are three empty white plates, along with a few more vaguely delineated items behind them in the background.