Tanis Garber

Daniel Garber (1880-1958) was an American painter known for the luminous, precisely observed landscapes of the Pennsylvania countryside that make him one of the most important painters of the Pennsylvania Impressionist tradition. Tanis Garber from 1914 is a portrait of the artist's daughter in the luminous manner that distinguishes Garber's best work from the more atmospheric Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings of his contemporaries. The 1914 date places this in Garber's most productive period, when he was producing the luminous landscapes and portraits that are his most accomplished works, and the portrait of his daughter shows his ability to apply the luminous manner to figure painting as well as landscape.

Tanis Garber is important in the history of American Impressionism because it demonstrates the luminous manner that Garber brought to both landscape and portrait painting as one of the most important painters of the Pennsylvania Impressionist tradition. Garber's luminous paintings—combining precise observation with the luminous effect of the Pennsylvania countryside—represent one of the most accomplished traditions of American Impressionism, and the 1914 portrait shows this luminous manner applied to figure painting.

Tanis Garber is Daniel Garber's luminous portraiture: the artist's daughter rendered in the luminous manner that makes him one of the most important Pennsylvania Impressionists. The 1914 portrait shows how Garber's luminous approach—known primarily from his landscapes—could also be applied to figure painting with accomplished results.