Henry Ossawa Tanner Research Paper

Henry Ossawa Tanner was one of the first African American painters that made his claim to fame. He established a lot of “firsts” in that he was also the first African American student at his art academy. Tanner is most notorious for painting and drawing. The artist was young when he was in Paris and decided to pursue art in 1981. During this time, modernism was coming to an end and transitioning to post modernism. By examining multiple pieces of his work, Tanner is most concerned with subjects and emphasizes specific features through color, light, and shadowing. Many of his pieces have more than one person depicted which indicates a strong, trusting bond and an affinity for relationships with people. This makes sense in that Tanner lived in a time when African Americans were not accepted so he had to stick close to family and friends, those of whom he knew he could trust. Tanner also produced artwork with wide-angled scenery including trees, skies, ocean, and bridges, to name a few. Perhaps these are creations that were taken into account by Tanner when his mother reminisced and described her views about her travels using the Underground Railroad.

Jacob Lawrence is known for painting and portraying African American life, similar to Tanner. Lawrence practiced art during the modernism time period. Both, Tanner and Lawrence, incorporate emotions and feelings
Like Tanner, Wiley seems to paint real people whereas Lawrence’s creations seem more cartoonlike. Wiley and Lawrence are similar in that neither of them have scenic portraits; Tanner creates landscape too. Wiley’s paintings portray men in a stance that shows strength, courage, and demands respect and honor. Wiley draws attention to the individual by placing him in the center and enhancing the background with a design that is “popping” to the eye. Wiley, Lawrence, and Tanner all create art about African American