Gallery 215, American Art, second floor
Main Building
Gallery 215, American Art, second floor
Main Building
Painted during a triumphant visit home from Paris in 1897, Henry Ossawa Tanner’s portrait of his mother is both a tribute to Sarah Tanner—the central, stabilizing figure in her large and distinguished African American family—and a celebration of her son’s recent success in his chosen career, in which he had persevered despite initial opposition from his parents.
In its composition the work refers to a world-famous image by another American: James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s
Portrait of the Artist’s Mother of 1871. Tanner’s portrait of his mother has none of the cool austerity of Whistler’s picture; instead it is an affectionate portrayal of a strong, sensitive, thoughtful personality.Gallery 215, American Art, second floor
| Title: | Portrait of the Artist's Mother |
| Date: | 1897 |
| Artist: | Henry Ossawa Tanner (American (active France), 1859–1937) |
| Medium: | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions: | 29 1/4 × 39 1/2 inches (74.3 × 100.3 cm) Framed: 35 1/4 × 45 3/8 × 2 1/2 inches (89.5 × 115.3 × 6.4 cm) |
| Classification: | Paintings |
| Credit Line: | Partial gift of Dr. Rae Alexander-Minter and purchased with the W. P. Wilstach Fund, the George W. Elkins Fund, the Edward and Althea Budd Fund, and with funds contributed by The Dietrich Foundation, 1993 |
| Accession Number: | EW1993-61-1 |
| Geography: | Made in United States, North and Central America |
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Gallery 215, American Art, second floor
Main Building