Henry O Tanner
The above painting is called "Daniel and the Lion's Den". The painting tells the story from the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament about the lions den that Daniel is thrown into. In the story the king, Darius, says that you may not pray to anyone but him. Daniel prays to Yahweh despite the law and is caught. The punishment for being caught praying to someone other then the king is death by being thrown into the lions den. The lions are ferocious and hungry. When Daniel is thrown into the Den he does not get eaten by the lions. They leave him alone and he does not die. Henry Tanner depicts the scene in the above painting. In his painting the beam of light that is over Daniel is god's presence. The lions do not go near him they do not really even seem to notice him. The painting uses light to symbolize god's presence. It is simple and there is not a lot of detail but it gets the point across. The painting is very calming and really shows how strong the presence in the den is. It is an artistic representation that could help someone who is unfamiliar with the story become more acquainted with its meaning. It is also a powerful image for individuals who are aware of the story and its meaning.