Portrait of the Artist’s Wife

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Portrait of the Artist's Wife, 1897?, oil on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jack Hafif, 1983.95.211
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Portrait of the Artist's Wife, 1897?, oil on fiberboard, 22 3⁄8 x 18 7⁄8 in. (56.8 x 47.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jack Hafif, 1983.95.211
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Artwork Details

Title
Portrait of the Artist’s Wife
Artist
Date
1897?
Location
Dimensions
22 3⁄8 x 18 7⁄8 in. (56.8 x 47.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Jack Hafif
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on fiberboard
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait female — Tanner, Henry Ossawa, Mrs. — bust
Object Number
1983.95.211
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1983.95.211

Artwork Description

Jessie Macauley Olssen first met Henry Ossawa Tanner in Barbizon, France. They married in Paris in 1899 and had one child together. In this portrait, Mrs. Tanner is shown in a highly studied pose meant to look informal and casual. Tanner painted Jessie’s face with greater detail than her dress, which he painted in a loose, unfinished manner.

Works by this artist (244 items)

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Winslow Homer, High Cliff, Coast of Maine, 1894, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1909.7.29
High Cliff, Coast of Maine
Artist
Date1894
oil on canvas
On view
Winslow Homer, A Visit from the Old Mistress, 1876, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1909.7.28
A Visit from the Old Mistress
Artist
Date1876
oil on canvas
On view
Winslow Homer, At Sea--Signalling a Passing Steamer, from Every Saturday, April 8, 1871, 1871, wood engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Ray Austrian Collection, gift of Beatrice L. Austrian, Caryl A. Austrian and James A. Austrian, 1996.63.178
At Sea – Signalling a Passing Steamer, from Every Saturday,…
Artist
Date1871
wood engraving on paper
Not on view
Winslow Homer, Homeward Bound, from Harper's Weekly, December 21, 1867, 1867, wood engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Ray Austrian Collection, gift of Beatrice L. Austrian, Caryl A. Austrian and James A. Austrian, 1996.63.125
Homeward Bound, from Harper’s Weekly, December 21, 1867
Artist
Date1867
wood engraving on paper
Not on view

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