Henry Ossawa Tanner

Henry Ossawa Tanner – Life, Art, and Spiritual Vision

Explore the life, struggles, and spiritual artistry of Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859–1937), the first African-American painter to gain international acclaim. Discover his biography, key works (like The Resurrection of Lazarus and The Banjo Lesson), his evolving style, and enduring legacy.

Introduction

Henry Ossawa Tanner (June 21, 1859 – May 25, 1937) is celebrated as one of America’s most profound and spiritually attuned painters. Born in Pittsburgh and raised in Philadelphia, Tanner’s journey took him across continents, confronting racial barriers in America, and ultimately finding recognition and refuge in France.

Though early in his career he painted genre scenes, landscapes, and scenes of African-American life, Tanner is best known for his deeply luminous religious works—infused with belief, quiet contemplation, and poetic use of light.

He holds a special place in art history as the first African-American painter to gain widespread international acclaim.

Early Life and Family

Henry Ossawa Tanner was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 21, 1859, the first of nine children of Benjamin Tucker Tanner and Sarah Miller Tanner.

His father was a prominent minister in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, and his upbringing was steeped in faith, moral conviction, and a keen awareness of the challenges facing African Americans in post–Civil War America.

Though his mother may have had family roots affected by slavery, the family’s move north and their religious and intellectual environment shaped Henry’s early worldview.

When Tanner was still a boy, his family relocated to Philadelphia, where his father’s pastoral work and connections with African American intellectual circles opened doors to cultural life.

One formative memory Tanner later recalled: as a youth walking with his father through the Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, he passed by a painter working on a landscape—a moment that awakened his desire to paint.

Education & Formative Years

In 1879, Tanner enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in Philadelphia, becoming the only African American student at the time.

At PAFA, he studied under respected artists, especially Thomas Eakins, whose rigorous approach to anatomy, realism, and the human figure greatly influenced Tanner.

Tanner’s studies at PAFA were interrupted at times by health issues, especially in the early 1880s, which necessitated periods of rest and convalescence.

Despite the challenges of racial prejudice and limited opportunities, Tanner developed technical skill in drawing, composition, and tone, laying a foundation for his later, more expressive style.

In the late 1880s, seeking more opportunity, he moved to Atlanta and attempted to run a photography studio, but that venture failed.

During that same period, Tanner briefly taught drawing at Clark College (today Clark Atlanta University).

Paris, Recognition, and Spiritual Turn

In 1891, Tanner departed the United States for Paris, enrolling at the Académie Julian and immersing himself in the European art world, where race mattered far less than in America.

In France, Tanner studied under Jean-Paul Laurens and Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant and participated in the American Art Students’ Club in Paris.

By moving to Europe, Tanner sought both artistic freedom and social equality, telling friends and patrons that in Paris he was regarded only as “M. Tanner, an American artist,” without regard to skin color.

Tanner’s life in Paris and the Normandy art colonies (notably in Étaples) provided him opportunities to explore new subject matter, light, atmosphere, and deeper spiritual concerns.

A turning point in his subject matter occurred in the mid-1890s: after a period of spiritual reflection, he increasingly devoted himself to religious and biblical themes, transforming familiar stories into poetic, meditative scenes suffused with light and emotion.

Rodman Wanamaker, impressed by Tanner’s religious paintings (such as The Resurrection of Lazarus), sponsored his travel to the Holy Land (Palestine, North Africa) in 1897 and 1898–99, believing that a painter of biblical scenes should see those lands firsthand.

That journey deepened Tanner’s intimacy with sacred subjects and enriched his visual vocabulary—mosques, desert light, interior spaces, and local people emerged in his later works.

Artistic Style, Themes & Signature Works

Themes & Vision

Tanner’s art is characterized by a fusion of realism with spiritual introspection. He did not merely narrate biblical stories; he sought to evoke the inner life of faith, silence, and awe.

His early works included genre and African-American life scenes, such as The Banjo Lesson (1893) and The Thankful Poor (1894). These are intimate, dignified portrayals of black domestic life, resisting caricature or sentimentality.

Over time, Tanner’s palette shifted. His later religious and interior scenes often favor cool blues and indigos, a tonal quality sometimes called “Tanner blues,” which imbues evensong or night scenes with calm and mystery.

Another key aspect is symbolic light. In works like The Annunciation (1898), the angel Gabriel appears as a column of light; the light itself becomes a narrator, metaphor, and spiritual presence.

Tanner’s compositions frequently explore interior spaces, subdued figures, glancing shadows, and contemplative stillness rather than dramatic action.

Signature Works