Henry Ossawa Tanner (June 21, 1859 – May 25, 1937) was an American artist and the first African-American painter to gain international acclaim. Tanner moved to Paris, France, in 1891 to study, and continued to live there after being accepted in French artistic circles. His painting entitled Daniel in the Lions’ Den was accepted into the 1896 Salon, the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. [Wikipedia] This African American picture study focuses on his life and work.

This is the first post in a series of African American picture study resources featuring black artists. I chose Tanner first because I’m leading picture study for our CM co-op this term, and I am genuinely loving his work. The pictures are beautiful, and some of the pieces tell vivid stories about what life was like during that time period. His biblical pieces are intriguing with atypical artistic elements. He was a talented and brave trailblazer worthy of study.

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Biography resources:

• Picture book – Henry Ossawa Tanner: His Boyhood Dream Comes True
• Narrative bio – Black Masters of American Art* (see sample below) – Update: This book is now available for free viewing on Archive.org: Six Black Masters of American Art

Relevant videos (for parents or older students):

• PBS NewsHour – Conversation: Henry Ossawa Tanner
• Smithsonian American Art Museum – Painting Techniques of Henry Ossawa Tanner [Warning: This video is fascinating but please preview for your family as it contains artistic nudity.]

Artist print resources:

• A Humble Place: Charlotte Mason Picture Study Aid: Henry Ossawa Tanner
• Riverbend Press: Tanner Artist Prints
• NEW! Simply Charlotte Mason: Tanner Picture Study Portfolio
• Art Class Curator: Charlotte Mason Picture Study: Henry Ossawa Tanner (Disclosure: I have not used these)
• Wikiart Visual Art Encyclopedia: Henry Ossawa Tanner (To print your own pictures)

Picture study aids: Info for each picture is linked below in the lesson plans (various sources) – This is intended for the adult to review prior to the lesson. Interesting info can be included in the picture talk.

Museum locator (Find where Tanner’s work is displayed and plan a trip to visit, if possible):

• Artcyclopedia: Paintings in Museums and Public Art Galleries (This site is very helpful, but do not rely solely on their list. Our local art museum has two Tanner paintings in the permanent collection, and it isn’t included on this list. Be sure to check the museums near you or in cities you plan to visit or drive through.)
• The Athenaeum: Henry Ossawa Tanner – Artworks (Another helpful list, but always call or check the museum website before visiting because the painting could have moved or not be on display.)

Lesson Plans (A Humble Place is a wonderful option that I will be using for my younger children. She did not have prints when I went through this study with my older kids, so the photos below correlate with the Riverbend Press prints):

• Week 1: Read bio – Boyhood Dream p. 4-14 or Black Masters p. 41-46
• Week 2: Read bio – Boyhood Dream p. 15-21 or Black Masters p. 47-52
• Week 3: Read bio – Boyhood Dream p. 22-29 or Black Masters p. 53-59
• Week 4: The Thankful Poor
• Week 5: The Banjo Lesson
• Week 6: The Young Sabot Maker (brief) Extensive info on p. 520
• Week 7: Compare pictures
• Week 8: The Annunciation
• Week 9: Flight into Egypt
• Week 10: Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City
• Week 11: Compare pictures

Additional notes:

*I didn’t pay nearly as much as the current Amazon price for the Black Masters book, so I hate to see how high it is now. However, I love this book and would gladly pay the higher price many times over. It covers six artists, and it’s written in a mature yet engaging way that delights my family. It’s a living book by a respected black author, I’ll be using it for several of the artist studies, and it’s worth the investment.

[Update: This book is now available for free viewing on Archive.org: Six Black Masters of American Art]

If you’ve found other helpful quality information for Tanner, please post it in the comments!