100 iconic American works of art from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ collection. This lavishly illustrated publication presents essays that offer groundbreaking re-interpretations of American art through the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ impressive historical and modern collections. Texts by leading scholars focus on the significant contributions made by Black, women, and LGBTQ+ artists whose careers were nurtured at PAFA. What does it mean to be an American artist? The book probes what it meant to be an American artist when the first art school and museum in the United States was founded and what it meant to be one by the late twentieth century, traversing two hundred years of creativity and change through over 100 significant works. Leading scholars explore rarely-studied histories in essays that contribute to an expanded picture of the nation and its artistic heritage.

This beautiful book, companion publication to the exhibition of the same name, presents a complex overview of the life and career of the pioneering African American artist Henry O. Tanner (1859-1937). Recognized as the patriarch of African American artists, Tanner forged a path to international success, powerfully influencing younger black artists who came after him. Following a preface by David Driskell, the essays in this book - written by international scholars including Alan Braddock, Michael Leja, Jean-Claude Lesage, Richard Powell, Marc Simpson, Tyler Stovall, and Helene Valance - explore many facets of Tanner's life, including his upbringing in post-Civil War Philadelphia, his background as the son of a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal church, and his role as the first major academically trained African American artist. Additional essays discuss Tanner's expatriate life in France, his depictions of the Holy Land and North Africa, and the scientific and technical innovations reflected in his oeuvre. Edited and introduced by Anna O. Marley, this volume expands our understanding of Tanner's place in art history, showing that his status as a painter was deeply influenced by his race but not decided by it. Contributors include: Brian Baade; Alan Braddock; Marcus Bruce; Adrienne L. Childs; Robert Cozzolino; David Driskell; Amber Kerr-Allison; Michael Leja; Jean-Claude Lesage; Anna O. Marley; Olivier Meslay; Richard Powell; Marc Simpson; Tyler Stovall; and, Helene Valance.