Henry Ossawa Tanner Smithsonian Halftone Exhibition Poster

Item Details

After Henry OssawaTanner (Pennsylvania/Paris, 1859 — 1937)
The Art of Henry O. Tanner, 1969
Halftone on paper
Unsigned

‘Henry Ossawa Tanner was an American artist known for his depictions of biblical themes, and was also the first African-American painter to gain international acclaim. Tanner was born on June 21, 1859 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but soon after moved to Philadelphia, where he taught himself how to paint. He later enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1880 as the only black student, and studied under the tutelage of painter Thomas Eakins. In 1890, Joseph C. Hartzell, a bishop from Cincinnati, Ohio, helped arrange an exhibition of Tanner’s works. However, when no paintings were sold, Hatzell purchased the entire collection himself, giving Tanner the money to move to Paris, France in 1891 to study at the Académie Julian. Although his early work often depicted the lives of African-Americans, he later moved on to biblical imagery, for which he started receiving acclaim in Europe and later in the United States. Daniel in the Lions’ Den received an honorable mention at the 1894 Paris Salon, and The Raising of Lazarus won a medal at the 1897 Paris Salon and was later purchased by the French government. In 1900, he won the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ Lippincott Prize for one of his most well known works, Nicodemus Visiting Jesus. He remained in France for the rest of his life, regularly exhibiting his works internationally. In 1927, he became the first African-American to be granted full membership at the National Academy of Design in New York. After his death on May 25, 1937, Tanner’s art became less renowned until the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. exhibited several of his works in 1969, the first major solo exhibition of a black artist in the United States.’
- Artnet

Condition

- .25" dark stain to lower portion; toning; soft creasing; moisture damage to mat.

Dimensions

- measures backing; sheet measures 18" W x 25.25" H.

• Please note, this item may be rolled for storage and shipping.

Item #

ITMGP07049