Day 6 Black History Month 2021 - Henry Ossawa Tanner

Henry Ossawa Tanner (June 21, 1859 – May 25, 1937)

For day six of Black History Month, we’d like to highlight Henry Ossawa Tanner, an American artist, painter and the first African-American painter to achieve international recognition and acclaim. Many artists and schools during his time, refused to take on African-American’s as apprentices but in 1879, Tanner enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts becoming the only African-American student. Tanner’s artwork style is often describe as realism because he would focus on creating accurate interpretations of his subjects. Many of works where inspired by Christian themes but some of his most notable works where The Banjo Lesson (1893), The Thankful Poor (1894), Daniel In The Lions Den (1918) and Flight Into Egypt (1923).

“I was extremely timid and to be made to feel that I was not wanted, although in a place where I had every right to be, even months afterwards caused me sometimes weeks of pain. Every time any one of these disagreeable incidents came into my mind, my heart sank, and I was anew tortured by the thought of what I had endured, almost as much as the incident itself.” – Excerpt from Henry Ossawa Tanner autobiography “The Story of an Artist’s Life” where he describes racism and the lack of acceptance in society.