Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 21, 1859, Henry Ossawa Tanner is widely celebrated as the first African American artist to achieve elite international recognition and acclaim. He refined his raw talent at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts before relocating to the competitive art schools of Paris.
Tanner chose to move to France in 1891 because he found a liberating artistic environment that judged him solely on the quality of his work, free from the oppressive racial prejudices of the post-Civil War United States. Immersing himself in French culture, his breathtaking, emotionally charged biblical paintings won prestigious medals at the Paris Salon, forcing the American art establishment to finally recognize his genius. His triumphs paved a clear, inspiring path for future generations of Black expatriate artists seeking creative freedom overseas.
Shown here is Tanner (far right) sitting next to fellow artist Myron G. Barlow at a table in France c. 1907-1908
Image via Wikipedia Commons, public domain in the US
