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
Copied 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.