The following was submitted in September of 2006 by Corinne Cain:

Robert Tanenbaum was born in 1936

Robert Tanenbaum was born in Missouri in 1936.  A gifted portrait  artist from early on, Tanenbaum easily captured a sitter's likeness.  This talent led him to study art at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he earned his Fine Arts degree.

Robert has a system of working with casein and oils involving a preliminary graphite drawing on a gessoed board.  Next 80% of the composition is laid in using casein.  Over the casein he applies oil paint.

In 1964 he moved from Missouri to Los Angeles where his skill in depicting a person's character was utilized in the production of movie posters.  His other illustrations include 2 1/2 years of ads for Levi jeans.  The group portrait of all the actors of the television series /Roots/ was shown at the beginning of this well-known series.

In 1971 his work was chosen as a purchase prize of the National Watercolor Society. 

Source:
Contemporary Western Artists by Peggy and Harold Samuels