The middle name of Henry Ossawa Tanner commemorated the Kansas conflict at Osawatomie, foreshadowing a career defined by movement and the transcendence of professional barriers. Born in Pittsburgh in 1859, he became an accomplished American artist who found critical reception and professional liberation in the galleries of Paris, effectively reshaping his trajectory away from the limitations of the American art establishment.
Formative Influences and Early Training
Tanner showed an early interest in the visual arts, fueled by observations of local Philadelphia painters. In 1879, he enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. As the institution's only black student, he studied under Thomas Eakins, whose emphasis on anatomical study and live models profoundly influenced Tanner's realistic technique. Despite his academic progress, recurring illness interrupted his studies in 1881, requiring recovery periods in the Adirondack Mountains.
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Attempting to establish a career in Philadelphia proved difficult due to systemic racism, which Tanner noted caused significant personal distress. Seeking financial independence, he operated a photography studio in Atlanta during the late 1880s, an endeavor that ultimately failed. Through a connection with Bishop Joseph Crane Hartzell, he secured a brief position teaching drawing at Clark College, though his focus remained on his development as a painter.
Transition to the French Art World
In 1891, Tanner departed for Europe aboard the City of Chester, eventually settling in Paris to enroll at the Académie Julian. The environment provided a stark contrast to the United States, allowing him to focus on his work without the constant pressure of racial bias. He studied under Benjamin Constant and Jean-Paul Laurens, refining his approach to history painting and realism before gaining entry into the prestigious Paris Salon.
Evolution of Style and Subject Matter
Tanner's body of work spanned daily life, landscapes, and religious themes. Early pieces like The Banjo Lesson and The Young Sabot Maker utilized a realistic style characterized by structural weight and meticulous detail. By the mid-1890s, his work shifted toward religious subject matter, often utilizing light as a symbolic tool. His later period became defined by a distinctive palette of indigo and turquoise hues, frequently cited as Tanner blues, visible in works such as The Three Marys and The Arch.
Fast facts
- Born: 1859, Pittsburgh
- Died: 1937, 6th arrondissement of Paris
- Education: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; Académie Julian
- Notable Works: The Banjo Lesson; The Young Sabot Maker; The Thankful Poor; Moroccan Scene
- Awards: Knight of the Legion of Honour (1923)
- Occupations: Painter, photographer, illustrator, teacher, printmaker
- Movement: Realism
- Citizenship: United States
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Henry Ossawa Tanner paint?
He painted realistic scenes of daily life, such as The Banjo Lesson, alongside religious narratives and landscapes.
Why did Tanner move to France?
He sought to escape the racial discrimination he faced in the American art market and to study at the Académie Julian.
Achievements
- Knight of the Legion of Honour — 1923
- Notable work: Moroccan Scene
- Notable work: The Thankful Poor
- Notable work: The Banjo Lesson
- Notable work: The Young Sabot Maker
- Movement: realism
