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Henry Ossawa Tanner

Oil portrait with man in suit, dim green background.

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  • Oil portrait with man in suit, dim green background.

Date:

1891–96

Artist:

Hermann Dudley Murphy
American, 1867–1945

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 signature likewise evoke Whistler’s style as well as his interest in Japanese art.

Status

On View, Gallery 273

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Hermann Dudley Murphy

Title

Henry Ossawa Tanner

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

c. 1891–1896

Medium

Oil on canvas

Inscriptions

Signed, lower left, with monogram Inscribed on reverse: "Hermann Dudley Murphy / 18 M 96 / Portrait of / Henry Ossawa Tanner / Salon of the / Champs de Mars 1896"

Dimensions

73 × 50.2 cm (28 3/4 × 19 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Friends of American Art Collection

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.

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