Henry Ossawa Tanner is the most distinguished African-American artist of the nineteenth century, and the first one to rise above the racial discrimination prevalent at the time and achieve international acclaim. Tanner was born on June 21, 1859, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was only 13 when he decided to pursue a career in art, after seeing an artist at work while on a walk with his father through Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park.
“It was this simple event that, as it were, set me on fire,” Tanner later recounted of the experience. Eager to discourage his son's interest, Tanner‘s father sent him to apprentice as a flour miller. This endeavor didn’t last long, as Tanner struggled with various health issues, and working at the mill proved to be too strenuous for him. Interestingly, this worked in his favor. While recovering at home, Tanner started to develop his painting skills, and in 1880, at the age of 21, he was able to enroll at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
In 1888, the artist moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to try and make a living, and save money to travel to Europe while continuing to work on his art. It was during his time in Atlanta that Tanner met Bishop Joseph Crane Hartzell and his wife, who went on to become his main patrons. Thanks to their patronage, Tanner was able to achieve his dream of traveling to Europe in 1881. He initially intended to study art in Rome, but after a stop in Paris, he fell in love with the Parisian art scene and decided to stay.
Tanner’s artistic career blossomed in Paris. He went on to spend the rest of his life in France, where he felt a measure of relief from the racial prejudices he had to fight in his home country. In 1923, Tanner was made an honorary chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest honor, and in 1927, he became a full academician of the National Academy of Design. In his later years, Tanner was a symbol of hope and inspiration for African-American leaders and young artists, many of whom visited him in Paris. On May 25, 1937, Tanner died at his home in Paris.
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