The Stunning Landscape In North Carolina That Appears As Though It Was Ripped From A Henry Ossawa Tanner Painting

It is not unusual for artists to imitate life, especially after witnessing this breathtaking landscape in North Carolina. Three Top Mountain in Creston appears as though it was painted by Henry Ossawa Tanner. Born in Pittsburgh, on June 21, 1859, this painter was the first African-American artist to receive international acclaim for his stunning portrayals of landscapes and Biblical themes, making him one of the most important artists of the 19th century. Tanner died at his home in Paris on May 25, 1937. See how his paintings of the mountain landscapes in Highlands, North Carolina look similar to the amphibolite mountain group, a mountain chain containing a calcium-rich rock that includes Elk Knob, Snake Mountain, Mount Jefferson, and Bluff Mountain, which can be viewed from the Three Top Mountain Trail.

See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1880, he was the only African American student at Philadelphia’s prestigious Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts when he studied under Thomas Eakins, an artist and fine arts teacher.

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In the summer of 1888, Tanner moved to Highlands, North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains and studied their majestic ruggedness.

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But nothing like the prize of the award-winning view at the top.

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Henry Ossawa Tanner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In the early 1890s, Tanner enrolled in the Academie Julian where some of his teachers included Jean-Paul Laurens and Jean Joseph Benjamin-Constant.

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Henry Ossawa Tanner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1927, Tanner became the first African American to become a full academician of the National Academy of Design.

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This property is on Three Top Mountain Gameland, so wear orange or bright clothes while hiking.

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Tanner made many trips to the Holy Land, which inspired his first one-man exhibition of religious paintings in the U.S. in 1908 at the American Art Galleries in New York.

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Henry Ossawa Tanner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In later years, Tanner received many honors and awards for his work, including France's highest honor as an honorary chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor.

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Find this breathtaking landscape in North Carolina on the AllTrails website; and who knows, you may be the next artist to win awards for your inspiring paintings. Look for some reproductions of Henry Ossawa Tanner’s art on Etsy.