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Henry O. Tanner (1859 - 1937), was the first African American artist to establish an international reputation as well as the first black student admitted to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied with Thoms Eakins. After struggling for acceptance as a black artist in America, he left for Europe in 1891, continuing his studies in Paris with the Academic painters A.W. Bouguereau and Jean-Paul Laurens. By the turn of the century, Tanner was finding success in the salons of Europe, as well as some recognition in America. His mature work concentrates on biblical themes, familiar from his childhood as the son of a Methodist minister. Henry Tanner did eventually gain a following in the States, with W.E.B. DuBois naming him the dean of black American artists, and many young artists travelling to France to visit his studio. His paintings are in the collections of the Louvre, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and countless institutions around the world. |
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