Frank Duveneck

120 + 3 mm

249mm

André Dombrowski is Associate Professor, Department of the History of Art, University of Pennsylvania Sarah Burns is Ruth N. Halls Professor, Department of Art History, Indiana University Colm Tóibín is an acclaimed author and is Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities, Department of English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University Kristin L. Spangenberg is Curator of Prints, Cincinnati Art Museum Elizabeth A. Simmons is Curatorial Research Assistant, Cincinnati Art Museum

Also available from GILES:

AMERICAN MASTER

VAN GOGH Into the Undergrowth Cornelia Homburg, Simon Kelly, Laura Prins, and Jenny Reynaerts In association with Cincinnati Art Museum ETERNAL SUMMER The Art of Edward Henry Potthast Julie Aronson, Per Knutås, Carol Troyen, Cynthia Amnéus, and Anne Buening In association with Cincinnati Art Museum

ISBN 978-1-911282-64-8 Distributed in the USA and Canada by Consortium Book Sales & Distribution The Keg House 34 Thirteenth Avenue NE, Suite 101 Minneapolis, MN 55413-1007 USA www.cbsd.com

CS6 Duveneck jacket 28 sp 120 fl.indd 1

UK£40.00 / US$54.95

120 + 3 mm

Frank Duveneck

Frank

Barbara Dayer Gallati is Curator Emerita of American Art, Brooklyn Museum

GILES An imprint of D Giles Limited 66 High Street, Lewes BN7 1XG UK gilesltd.com

249mm

Duveneck

Julie Aronson is Curator of American Paintings, Sculpture, and Drawings, Cincinnati Art Museum

28 mm

AMERICAN MASTER Edited by Julie Aronson Introduction by Barbara Dayer Gallati Contributions by Julie Aronson, André Dombrowski, Sarah Burns, Colm Tóibín, Kristin L. Spangenberg, and Elizabeth A. Simmons

Frank Duveneck (1848–1919) was one of the most influential and widely respected late-nineteenth century American artists. Seeing the bold, confident handling with which Duveneck infuses life into his subjects can be breathtaking. Beloved by his students, Duveneck was also lauded by many Gilded Age luminaries such as James Abbott McNeill Whistler and Henry James. Yet a century after his death, he is largely known only for a single, brilliant painting, The Whistling Boy. By contextualizing his work in the artistic, cultural, and social milieus of the time, this volume offers diverse perspectives on Duveneck’s life, work, subjects, and reputation. The essays span his beginnings as a painter

Frank Duveneck

ISBN-13: 978-1-911282-64-8

AMERICAN MASTER

of dark Realism to his later impressionistic work and examine his significance as a printmaker and draftsman.

The lavishly illustrated volume includes a chronology and a selected bibliography.

Front cover: Cat. 9 (detail) The Whistling Boy, 1872 Oil on canvas, 27⅞ × 21⅛ in. (70.8 × 53.7 cm) Cincinnati Art Museum; Gift of the Artist, 1904.196 Back cover: Cat. 40 (detail) Beechwoods at Polling, Bavaria, circa 1878 Oil on canvas, 45½ × 37 in. (115.6 × 94 cm) Cincinnati Art Museum; Gift of the Artist, 1915.93

29/06/2020 15:00

Introduction: Duveneck Reconsidered BARBAR A DAYER G ALL ATI

W

riting in 1969, the art historian Mahonri Sharp Young declared that Frank Duveneck’s paintings “stole the show” when they were on view in the groundbreaking exhibition The Triumph of Realism. After pointing out Duveneck’s rise to international fame during his lifetime, Young continued,

“When he died in 1919 he was worshipped locally and completely forgotten everywhere else.”1 Duveneck was not alone in this circumstance. Many of his contemporaries had suffered similar neglect, among them John Singer Sargent and William Merritt Chase, whose reputations have since been resuscitated in academia and on the art market. Solid efforts have also been made to reinstate Duveneck’s art in the canon of American art historical studies, particularly Josephine Whitney Duveneck’s seminal 1970 biography of her father-in-law, Frank Duveneck: PainterTeacher. But, as valuable as it is, the sparsely illustrated volume offers little more than a suggestion of Frank Duveneck’s power as an artist.

A watershed in Duveneck studies occurred in 1987, marked primarily by Robert Neuhaus’s Unsuspected Genius: The Art and Life of Frank Duveneck and Michael Quick’s An American Painter Abroad: Frank Duveneck’s European Years, both of which stand as the most exhaustive assessments of Duveneck’s artistic development prior to this publication.2 In his preface to Unsuspected Genius, Neuhaus summarized the reasons for the lack of attention then accorded Duveneck’s art and called for a retrospective exhibition that he believed would be a “revelation,” since it would “surely allay doubts about Duveneck’s significance in the evolution of American painting.”3 Quick’s superb study of the painter’s European years provides Cat. 54 (detail)

17

Fig. 15 Frank Duveneck (1848–1919), Study of the Artist’s Brother John, circa 1900–1910, oil on canvas, 42 × 305⁄16 in. (106.7 × 77 cm), Courtesy of the Kenton County Public Library, Covington, Kentucky

he created an exquisitely painted, bust-length portrait of his

work, Duveneck, in his later years, experimented with

half-sister Mollie that is full of life (cat. 117). More typical

Impressionism and returned to outdoor painting (cat. 128;

of his later portraits, however, is his painting of the Boston

see also fig. 79). He spent his summers among artist friends at

artist Marie Danforth (later Marie Danforth Page, cat. 119),

the Cape Ann, Massachusetts, art colony where he could be a

which is charming but less individual and insightful. Through

present father to Frank Jr. who lived nearby with Lizzie’s aunt

the end of his life, Duveneck was consistently in demand

and uncle, Ella and Arthur Lyman. Duveneck never achieved

as a portraitist in both the Boston and Cincinnati regions,

recognition as an Impressionist, although he painted some

although his commissioned work was often uninspired

satisfying harbor views, exemplified by The Yellow Pier Shed

(cat. 126). An oil sketch of his half-brother John reading a

(cat. 127) with its adept rendering of coastal light and color and

newspaper (fig. 15) shows just how lively his work could be

an unusual vantage point looking down on the fishing village

when uninhibited by the desires of a client. In his personal

from a hilltop. He exhibited these paintings only occasionally,

Cat. 117 (detail)

aronson

43

Frank Duveneck and Henry James COLM TÓIB ÍN

T

he town of Polling, sixty miles east of Munich, where Frank Duveneck opened a school in 1878, is centered around an old monastery building (fig. 38). It became a haunt for artists from the middle of the nineteenth century. In the early twentieth century, Julia Mann, mother of the novelists Heinrich Mann and Thomas Mann, left Munich to live in

Polling, where she rented a house in the monastery grounds. This inspired Thomas Mann in his novel Doctor Faustus to house his fictional composer Adrian Leverkühn in the monastery itself.

In Mann’s novel, in which Polling was called Pfeiffering, Leverkühn discovered the place by accident while on a trip, hearing from the landlady that a Munich painter and his wife had recently rented rooms from her, since “he wanted to make landscapes of the neighbourhood, the Waldshut moors and so on, and had done some pretty views, though rather gloomy, being painted in a dull light.”1

“Painters were as thick as blackberries,” the landlady said, and were “mostly

a loose lot, without much feeling for the serious things of life.”2 Soon afterwards,

when Leverkühn needed lodgings where he would spend the rest of his solitary and tormented life, he would apply to the landlady who would oversee the rest of his days, including the time when he composed his last work and suffered from a breakdown.

It is strange, almost uncanny, now, almost seventy-five years after Doctor Faustus was written, to walk into the rooms and the monks’ cells that Thomas Mann imagined as the home of his composer. The sense of monastic space, intimate, shadowy, spare, has been preserved. Everything is on a modest scale. But the walls are thick; the building was made to last. Here, Adrian Leverkühn, as he came to the Cat. 105 (detail)

87

Fig. 56 Frank Duveneck (1848–1919), The Bridge of Sighs, No. 1, 1883, etching (first state, Poole 14), platemark 107⁄8 × 8 9⁄16 in. (27.6 × 21.7 cm) on sheet 2111 ⁄16 × 14 in. (55.1 × 35.5 cm), Cincinnati Art Museum; Gift of the Artist, 1913.865 Fig. 57 Frank Duveneck (1848–1919), The Rialto, Venice, 1883, etching (Poole 23), platemark 11 3 ⁄16 × 187⁄8 in.

(28.4 × 47.9 cm) on sheet 151 ⁄2 × 22 in.

(39.4 × 55.9 cm), Cincinnati Art Museum; Gift of the Artist, 1915.513

110

frank duveneck and the etching revival

Fig. 58 Frank Duveneck (1848–1919), Palazzo Ca’ d’Oro, Venice, 1883, etching (second state, Poole 16), platemark 149⁄16 × 197 ⁄16 in. (37 × 49.3 cm) on sheet 16 5⁄16 × 223 ⁄4 in.

(41.5 × 57.8 cm), Cincinnati Art Museum; Gift of the Artist, 1915.525 Fig. 59 Carlo Naya (1816–1882), Palazzo Ca’ d’Oro on the Grand Canal, Venice, 1875, albumen print, 10 9⁄16 × 141 ⁄16 in. (26.8 × 35.7 cm) on mount 129⁄16 × 1715⁄16 in. (31.9 × 45.6 cm), Cincinnati Art Museum; Bequest of Elizabeth Haven Appleton, 1891, 1989.83

spangenberg

111

Select Chronology ELIZ AB E TH A . SIMMONS

Fig. 73 Duveneck Home and Garden at 1232 Greenup Street, Covington, Kentucky, early 20th century, photograph, Frank and Elizabeth Boott Duveneck papers, 1851–1972, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution Fig. 74 Frank Duveneck (1848–1919), Impatience, or Involuntary Servitude (Boy with Yarn), circa 1860, oil on canvas, 36 × 31 in.

(91.4 × 78.7 cm), on loan to the Kenton County Public Library – Covington Branch, Courtesy of the Kenton County Public Library, Covington, Kentucky

1846

Circa 1850

April 13: Elizabeth Otis Lyman Boott born to Francis Boott and Elizabeth Lyman Boott in Boston

Katherine Siemers Decker marries Joseph Duveneck, an entrepreneur; later known as the “Squire,” he served as a Justice of the Peace

1848 October 9: Frank Decker, later Frank Duveneck, born in Covington, KY, to German immigrants Bernard Decker, a cobbler, and Katherine Siemers Decker, formerly a domestic worker in the house of painter James Beard

1849 August 14: Bernard Decker dies of cholera in Covington

140

frank duveneck: american master

1860 Moves into a new house at the corner of Greenup and 13th Streets in Covington, where Joseph Duveneck opens a small plant for bottling ale and runs a beer garden in the side yard (fig. 73) Paints genre scenes, including Impatience (fig. 74)

Fig. 75 Wilhelm von Diez’s painting class, circa 1872, photograph, Frank and Elizabeth Boott Duveneck papers, 1851–1972, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Diez is in the center and Duveneck is seated at right, with cane.

1862

1868

1872

Begins sculpting and painting apprenticeship with the Catholic Altar Stock Building Company near his home in Covington, studying under Brother Cosmas Wolf, Johann Schmitt and, later, Wilhelm Lamprecht

Assists Lamprecht with the decoration of Église de Saint-Romuald, Quebec, Canada

March 30: First known trip to Polling, with fellow students

1864 Paints Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Saint Vincent Art Collections, Latrobe, PA

1865 Assists Wolf at St. Mary’s Abbey in Newark, NJ; returns in 1867 to assist Lamprecht in painting ten murals there

1866 Paints the Stations of the Cross for the former St. Joseph’s Church in Covington, into 1867

1869 November: Sails for Munich, arriving December

1870 January 10: Matriculates into the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, beginning in the Antique Class

1871 July 22: Writes home announcing his silver medal received at the academy October: Begins studying under Professor Wilhelm von Diez in the academy’s advanced painting class (fig. 75)

Visits Venice and Trieste Summer: Sells 1200 Gulden worth of his paintings October: Exhibits sketchy portraits at the Munich Kunstverein, inciting harsh critique and comparison to Wilhelm Leibl Paints The Whistling Boy (cat. 9), which later becomes his most famous work Late fall: Wins academy prize; given a studio plus expenses for models

1873 Late fall: Returns to Covington December 17: Cincinnati artists throw welcoming reception for Duveneck

chronology

141

Cat. 40 (opposite) Frank Duveneck (1848–1919) Beechwoods at Polling, Bavaria, circa 1878 oil on canvas, 451 ⁄2 × 37 in. (115.6 × 94 cm) Cincinnati Art Museum; Gift of the Artist, 1915.93 Cat. 41 Frank Duveneck (1848–1919) Beech Trees, circa 1878 watercolor and gouache, 157⁄8 × 127⁄ 16 in. (40.3 × 31.6 cm) Cincinnati Art Museum; Gift of the Artist, 1915.203 Cat. 42 Frank Duveneck (1848–1919) Trees, circa 1878 watercolor, 121 ⁄ 16 × 1513 ⁄ 16 in. (30.6 × 40.2 cm) Cincinnati Art Museum; Gift of the Artist, 1915.212

193

CS6 Duveneck 280x240 EIGHTH LAYOUTS 15 June 20.indd 193

17/06/2020 16:40

Cat. 59 Frank Duveneck (1848–1919) Study for “Guard of the Harem,” 1879 oil on canvas, 30 × 26 in. (76.2 × 66 cm) Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Museum purchase, gift of Peter McBean, 1990.11 Cat. 60 (opposite) Frank Duveneck (1848–1919) Guard of the Harem, circa 1880 oil on canvas, 66 × 421 ⁄ 16 in. (167.6 × 106.8 cm) Cincinnati Art Museum; Gift of the Artist, 1915.115

206

frank duveneck: american master

CS6 Duveneck 280x240 EIGHTH LAYOUTS 15 June 20.indd 206

17/06/2020 16:30

CS6 Duveneck 280x240 EIGHTH LAYOUTS 15 June 20.indd 207

17/06/2020 16:30

Cat. 76 FRANK DUVENECK (1848–1919) Italian Courtyard, 1886 oil on canvas, 221 ⁄4 × 33 3⁄16 in. (56.5 × 84.3 cm) Cincinnati Art Museum; Gift of the Artist, 1915.76

222

frank duveneck: american master

Cat. 77 FRANK DUVENECK (1848–1919) Doorway with Garlic Braids, circa 1885 oil on panel, 83⁄16 × 1011⁄16 in. (20.8 × 27.1 cm) Cincinnati Art Museum; Bequest of Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Wichgar, 1932.81 Cat. 78 FRANK DUVENECK (1848–1919) Italian Doorway, circa 1886–87 oil on panel, 19 × 111 ⁄8 in. (48.3 × 28.3 cm) Collection of Gates Thornton Richards and Margaret Kyte Richards

223

Cat. 89 Frank Duveneck (1848–1919) Siesta, 1886 oil on canvas, 251 ⁄2 × 38 in. (64.8 × 96.5 cm) Cincinnati Art Museum; Bequest of Mary O’Brien Gibson in memory of her parents, Cornelius and Anna Cook O’Brien, 2007.68

230

frank duveneck: american master

CS6 Duveneck 280x240 EIGHTH LAYOUTS 15 June 20.indd 230

17/06/2020 16:37

Cat. 90 Frank Duveneck (1848–1919) Siesta, No. 2, 1887 oil on canvas, 20 × 42 in. (50.8 × 106.7 cm) Collection of Martha and Carl H. Lindner III

231

CS6 Duveneck 280x240 EIGHTH LAYOUTS 15 June 20.indd 231

17/06/2020 16:37

Frank DUVENECK

DUVENECK

Frank

Julie Aronson is Curator of American Paintings, Sculpture, and Drawings, Cincinnati Art Museum Barbara Dayer Gallati is Curator Emerita of American Art, Brooklyn Museum André Dombrowski is Associate Professor, Department of the History of Art, University of Pennsylvania Sarah Burns is Ruth N. Halls Professor, Department of Art History, Indiana University

Edited by Julie Aronson Introduction by Barbara Dayer Gallati Contributions by Julie Aronson, André Dombrowski, Sarah Burns,

MERICAN MASTER A

Colm Tóibín is an acclaimed author and is Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities, Department of English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University

AMERICAN MASTER

Kristin L. Spangenberg is Curator of Prints, Cincinnati Art Museum Elizabeth A. Simmons is Curatorial Research Assistant, Cincinnati Art Museum

Colm Tóibín, Kristin L. Spangenberg, and Elizabeth A. Simmons

Frank Duveneck (1848–1919) was one of the most influential and widely respected late-nineteenth century American artists. Seeing the bold, confident handling with which Duveneck infuses life into his subjects can be breathtaking. Beloved by his students, Duveneck was also lauded by many Gilded Age luminaries such as James Abbott McNeill Whistler and Henry James. Yet a century after his death, he is largely known only for a single, brilliant painting, The Whistling Boy. By contextualizing his work in the artistic, cultural, and social milieus of the time, this volume offers diverse perspectives on Duveneck’s life, work, subjects, and reputation. The essays span his beginnings as a

Frank DUVENECK ISBN-13: 978-0931537035

ISBN (softcover) 978-0-931537-03-5

A MERICAN MASTER

painter of dark Realism to his later impressionistic work and examine his significance as a printmaker and draftsman. The lavishly illustrated volume includes a chronology and a selected bibliography.

Front cover: Cat. 9 (detail) The Whistling Boy, 1872 Oil on canvas 27⅞ × 21⅛ in. (70.8 × 53.7 cm) Cincinnati Art Museum; Gift of the Artist, 1904.196 Back cover: Cat. 40 (detail) Beechwoods at Polling, Bavaria, circa 1878 Oil on canvas 45½ × 37 in. (115.6 × 94 cm) Cincinnati Art Museum; Gift of the Artist, 1915.93