The Seine by Henry Ossawa Tanner - 1902 - 22.8 x 33 cm National Gallery of Art The Seine by Henry Ossawa Tanner - 1902 - 22.8 x 33 cm National Gallery of Art

The Seine

Oil on canvas • 22.8 x 33 cm

  • Henry Ossawa Tanner - June 21, 1859 - May 25, 1937 Henry Ossawa Tanner

    1902

Paris unfolds along the banks of the Seine as night begins to fall. The distant buildings dissolve into a gentle haze, while the scene is suffused with soft tones of yellow, pink, and purple that lend the view a dreamlike, atmospheric quality.

Although the subject is distinctly French, the artist was not. Born in Philadelphia, Henry Ossawa Tanner moved to France in 1891 to escape the racism he faced as a Black artist in the United States. He remained abroad for the rest of his life, becoming one of the first African American artists to achieve international recognition.

Beautiful, isn't it?

P.S. Learn more about the art of Henry Ossawa Tanner—a pioneering African American artist.

P.P.S. Tanner’s atmospheric Paris connects directly to the Impressionist fascination with light and mood. Dive deeper into this artistic revolution in our French Impressionism Mega Online Course.