The Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA) has opened its presentation of the traveling exhibition "Monet to Matisse: French Moderns, 1850–1950," which features over 100 masterworks from the Brooklyn Museum. Uniquely, the BMA version includes more than 40 additional works from its own collection, among them paintings by two Black American artists—Henry Ossawa Tanner and Charles Ethan Porter—who lived and worked in France during the period. Curator Dr. Maggie Crosland emphasized the importance of including these artists to highlight the contributions of Black Americans to French modernism, especially given the political climate that drove many to Paris between 1850 and 1950.
This inclusion matters because it challenges the traditional narrative of French modern art as exclusively European, recognizing the transnational exchange and the role of Black artists who were part of Parisian art communities yet often omitted from art history. The BMA's decision to integrate works by Tanner and Porter—both gifts to the museum—also underscores the institution's commitment to diversifying its collection and narratives during its 75th anniversary. The pieces will later appear in the BMA's upcoming exhibition "Roll Call: 200 Years of Black American Art," further connecting local history to broader art historical conversations.