“My effort has been not only to put the Biblical incident in the original setting…” — Henry Ossawa Tanner

It seemed to me that this might be a great pageant, which would give a chance for a very interesting picture.

The physical characteristics of the child Jesus will always remain a point of discussion. No artist has ever produced a type, nor ever will, that has in it all that the varying minds of all time will acknowledge as complete.

My efforts have been to not only put the Biblical incident in the original setting, but at the same time give the human touch which makes the whole world kin and which ever remains the same.

I believe the Negro blood counts, and counts to my advantage - though it has caused me at times a life of great humiliation and sorrow.