Biography henry o tanner

Summary of Henry Ossawa Tanner

In the late 1800s, amidst America's still largely unenlightened attitude toward race equality, Henry Ossawa Tanner would break from all societal projections and boldly expatriate to Europe where he became the first African American man to achieve international acclaim as a painter. Eschewing the norm not only allowed him to carve his own course through life, but also to transform religious genre painting, the field in which he is best known. He remains the most distinguished African American artist of the nineteenth century.

Accomplishments

• Tanner's spiritual faith was informed early by his relationship with his minister father and would eventually inspire Tanner's most prolific subject matter in his art - religion. Yet, Tanner would contribute to the evolution of the genre by departing from traditional representations of narrative biblical scenes and carving out his own symbolic versions that modernized the field.
• Tanner was adamant about not h

  •

  Henry Ossawa Tanner

  (1859-1937)

  Who Was Henry Ossawa Tanner?

  As a young man, Henry Ossawa Tanner studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. In 1891, Tanner moved to Paris, and after several exhibits, gained international acclaim — becoming the first African American painter to receive such attention. "Nicodemus Visiting Jesus" is one of his most famous works. He's also known for the paintings "The Banjo Lesson" and "The Thankful Poor."

  Early Life

  Tanner was born on June 21, 1859, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The oldest of nine children, Tanner was the son of an Episcopal minister and a schoolteacher.

  When he was just a few years old, Tanner moved with his family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he would spend most of his childhood. Tanner was the beneficiary of two education-minded parents; his father, Benjamin Tanner, had earned a college grad and become a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopalian Church. In Philadelphia,

  •

  Henry Ossawa Tanner

  American painter (1859–1937)

  Henry Ossawa Tanner
  Tanner in 1907 by Frederick Gutekunst
  Born	(1859-06-21)June 21, 1859 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
  Died	May 25, 1937(1937-05-25) (aged 77) Paris, France
  Education	Studied with Thomas Eakins at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Later studied with Jean Paul Laurens and Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant at the Académie Julian in Paris, France.
  Known for	Painting and drawing
  Notable work
  Movement	American Realism, French Academic, Impressionism, Symbolism
  Spouse	Jessie Macauley Olssen ​ ​ (m. 1899; died 1925)​
  Children	1
  Awards	Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts' Lippincott Prize, 1900; Silver medal, Exposition Universelle, Paris, 1900
  Elected	Elected a member of the National Academy of Design, 1910. Made an honorary chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor, 1923.
  Patron(s)	Joseph