- Born:
- June 21, 1859, Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.
- Died:
- May 25, 1937, Paris, France (aged 77)
- Notable Works:
- âThe Raising of Lazarusâ
Henry Ossawa Tanner
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Who was Henry Ossawa Tanner?
Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859â1937) was an American painter known internationally for his landscapes and biblical themes. Tanner studied at Philadelphiaâs Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) and later at the AcadĂ©mie Julian in Paris.
Tanner's painting The Raising of Lazarus won a medal at the Paris Salon of 1897, and the French government later purchased the work. After touring the Holy Land, he painted Nicodemus Visiting Jesus, which won the PAFAâs Lippincott Prize in 1900. The French government made Tanner a chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1923, and in 1927, he became the first African American to be granted full membership in the National Academy of Design.
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Where was Henry Ossawa Tanner born and what was his background?
Henry Ossawa Tanner was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 21, 1859. He spent much of his childhood in Philadelphia. In 1880, Tanner began studying at Philadelphiaâs Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) for two years under Thomas Eakins, where he was the only African American.
Tanner moved to Atlanta in 1888 to start a photography studio, but it failed. He then taught at Clark University in Atlanta with the help of Joseph C. Hartzell, a bishop from Cincinnati, Ohio. Hartzell arranged an exhibition of Tannerâs work in Cincinnati in 1890 and bought the entire collection himself when no paintings sold.
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What style of art is Henry Ossawa Tanner most known for?
Henry Ossawa Tanner was an American painter known for his landscapes and biblical themes. Tanner's style evolved over time; after studying in Paris in the 1890s, he began to lighten his palette, using blues and blue-greens, and utilizing light and shadow for dramatic effect. His painting The Raising of Lazarus won a medal at the Paris Salon of 1897, and the French government purchased it later that year. After his death, Tanner's artistic stature declined until 1969, when the Smithsonian Institution exhibited several of his works.
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What are some of Henry Ossawa Tannerâs most famous paintings?
Henry Ossawa Tanner, an American painter, is known for his landscapes and biblical themes international acclaim. Some of his famous works include:
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Daniel in the Lionsâ Den (1895). Tanner received an honorable mention at the Paris Salon in 1896 for this painting.
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The Raising of Lazarus (c. 1897). This painting won a medal at the Paris Salon of 1897, and was purchased by the French government.
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Nicodemus Visiting Jesus (c. 1898). In 1900, this painting won the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Artsâ Lippincott Prize.
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The Annunciation (1898).
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Abrahamâs Oak (1905).
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The Two Disciples at the Tomb (c. 1905).
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How did Tannerâs experiences as an African American affect his art and career?
As an African American artist, Henry Ossawa Tanner faced racism that influenced his career choices and artistic themes.
Tanner experienced racial discrimination early in his training at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Later, his photography studio failed. With the help of Bishop Joseph C. Hartzell, Tanner secured a teaching position at Clark University in Atlanta.
In 1891, Tanner moved to Paris, where he gained international recognition for his paintings of biblical themes and landscapes. His experiences shaped his artistic focus, as he delivered a paper on African Americans and art at the Worldâs Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. In 1927, Tanner became the first African American to be granted full membership in the National Academy of Design.
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Why is Henry Ossawa Tanner considered an important figure in American art history?
Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859â1937) was an American painter celebrated for his landscapes and biblical themes, earning international recognition. Tanner studied at Philadelphiaâs Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts under Thomas Eakins, later moving to Paris to study at the AcadĂ©mie Julian. His work, characterized by a distinctive use of light and shadow, gained prominence at the Paris Salon, where he received an honorable mention in 1896 for Daniel in the Lionsâ Den. In 1897, The Raising of Lazarus won a medal, marking a rare achievement for an American artist, and was purchased by the French government. Tanner received a medal at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1900. In 1927, he became the first African American to be granted full membership in the National Academy of Design.
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Henry Ossawa Tanner (born June 21, 1859, Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.âdied May 25, 1937, Paris, France) was an American painter who gained international acclaim for his depiction of landscapes and biblical themes.
After a childhood spent largely in Philadelphia, Tanner began an art career in earnest in 1876, painting harbour scenes, landscapes, and animals from the Philadelphia Zoo. In 1880 Tanner began two years of formal study under Thomas Eakins at Philadelphiaâs prestigious Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), where he was the only African American. In 1888 he moved to Atlanta to open a photography studio, but the venture failed. With the help of Joseph C. Hartzell, a bishop from Cincinnati, Ohio, Tanner secured a teaching position at Clark University in Atlanta. In 1890 Hartzell arranged an exhibition of Tannerâs works in Cincinnati and, when no paintings sold, Hartzell purchased the entire collection himself.
Through these earnings, Tanner traveled to Paris in 1891 to enroll at the AcadĂ©mie Julian. During this period he lightened his palette, favouring blues and blue-greens, and began to manipulate light and shadow for a dramatic and inspirational effect. He returned to the United States in 1893, in part to deliver a paper on African Americans and art at the Worldâs Columbian Exposition in Chicago. By 1894 his paintings were being exhibited at the annual Paris Salon, at which in 1896 he was awarded an honourable mention for Daniel in the Lionsâ Den (1895; this version lost). The Raising of Lazarus (c. 1897), also biblical in theme, won a medal at the Paris Salon of 1897, a rare achievement for an American artist. Later that year the French government purchased the painting.
After touring the Holy Land in 1897â98, Tanner painted Nicodemus Visiting Jesus (c. 1898), which in 1900 won the PAFAâs Lippincott Prize. That same year he received a medal at the Universal Exposition in Paris. He remained an expatriate in France, routinely exhibiting in Paris as well as the United States, and winning several awards. Among his other works are The Annunciation (1898), Abrahamâs Oak (1905), and The Two Disciples at the Tomb (c. 1905). During World War I he served with the American Red Cross in France. In 1923 the French government made Tanner a chevalier of the Legion of Honour, and in 1927 he became the first African American to be granted full membership in the National Academy of Design in New York.
After his death, Tannerâs artistic stature declined until 1969, when the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., exhibited several of his works. This was the first major solo exhibition of a black artist in the United States. In 1991 the Philadelphia Museum of Art mounted a touring retrospective of his works.