About this artwork
This portrait of Henry Ossawa Tanner, an African American painter who achieved international renown, was painted by his friend and roommate Hermann Dudley Murphy during their student days in Paris. Although both received traditional artistic training at the city’s academies, they were particularly drawn to the modernist techniques of James McNeill Whistler. Murphy employed a thin, almost transparent application of paint and a muted palette of gray and green. The asymmetrical composition and colophon (or pictorial) signature likewise evoke Whistler’s style as well as their shared interest in Japanese art.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 273
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Department
- Arts of the Americas
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Artist
- Hermann Dudley Murphy
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Title
- Henry Ossawa Tanner
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Place
- Paris (Object made in)
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Date
- c. 1896
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Medium
- Oil on canvas
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Inscriptions
- Monogrammed recto, bottom-left, on background, in red paint: "M". Inscribed verso: "Hermann Dudley Murphy / 18 M 96 / Portrait of / Henry Ossawa Tanner / Salon of the / Champs de Mars 1896".
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Dimensions
- 73 × 50.2 cm (28 3/4 × 19 3/4 in.)
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Credit Line
- Friends of American Art Collection
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Reference Number
- 1924.37
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.