Henry Ossawa Tanner, born on June 21, 1859, was the son of a Methodist Bishop. His father's teaching infused Henry with a strong foundation in, and respect for, the Christian Scripture. The Bishop Tanner could not be sure of what the future held for his son, as Henry was a sickly child, but at age seven Henry declared that he would be a painter, the Bishop encouraged him wholeheartedly.
Henry Tanner was a self taught painter. For a short time Henry's father sent him to a painter for instruction, and later Henry paid for a few lessons himself. However, three reasons kept Henry from living his young life as a painter's apprentice. As great as the hardship was to afford lessons, financially he did not feel he was getting his money's worth. Secondly, felt that the masters were forcing their style upon him. Lastly, because of racial prejudice, he could not always study where he wished. Neither could he support himself and paint. American art was not well accepted worldwide, and white Americans did not accept Negro artists.
To escape his plight, Tanner moved to Paris on January 4, 1891. His initial intent was to study in Italy, but during his stop over in Paris he decided not to leave. The Paris art scene was free from prejudice, and to receive an award at the Salon would be a boost to any artist's career.
Tanner found his niche as a biblical painter in Paris. Early in life he painted landscapes, and later, with the popularity of The Banjo Lesson, he thought he might make his mark as a genre painter of youth contrasted with age. Painting scenes from the Bible was something that Tanner felt that all great painters attempt, because to have a great work one must have a great subject. When The Annunciation sold to the French government, he was haled as a great biblical painter. The government requested another painting, and Tanner began working on Jesus Raising Lazarus from the Dead. His most famous biblical painting became Daniel in the Lion's Den, which is considered the quintessential Tanner painting.
The Annunciation sold during Tanner's first trip to the Holy Land. From January through April 1897, he studied biblical architecture and landscapes. During his second trip, in the fall of 1898, he focused again on architecture, but also sketched many people. After this trip his characters appear more Semitic, and resemble Rembrandt's biblical characters.
World War I effected his work, detrimentally at first. "He was horrified at the terrible loss of life and at the suffering of the wounded. At first he could not paint" (Matthews xiii). When America entered the war, he volunteered for the American Red Cross, serving there from December 1917 to June 1919. Eventually, as an artist attached to the Red Cross, he could paint again. He emerged more willing to experiment and taking more time with each painting.
Henry Tanner's son viewed his father as a mystic. He writes of his father a great prayer to whom "prayer was . . . a powerful factor in man's destiny, but we should pray for a clearer perception of what our actions should be rather than for better health or greater wealth" (Matthews xiii). Praying in this way was a bold step of faith for a man with a family, who never had great wealth or health. Contemplatively he prayed, believing that it is "through a receptive state of mind that [we are allowed] to know God's will" (Matthews xiv). God's personal will to Henry Tanner, and universal will to all, is a "mystical fourth dimension" in all of Tanner's paintings (Matthews xiv).
Bearden, Romare, and Harry Henderson. Six Black Masters of American Art. New York: Zenith Books. 1972.
Mathews, Marcia M. Henry Ossawa Tanner: American Artist. Negro American Biographies and Autobiographies Series. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 1969.
Mosby, Dewey F., Darrel Sewell, and Rae Alexander-Minter. Henry Ossawa Tanner. New York: Rissoli, 1991.
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