American, 1850 - 1933
Frank French was the youngest of ten children. He was fourteen and his parents had died when the family farm on which he had grown up was sold; the children were on their own. French already had the desire to become an artist, and an older sister, who later became a portrait painter, encouraged him. He went to Laconia, New Hampshire, where he attended school, took odd jobs, and worked at painting-planning to become a portraitist. Upon hearing that the popular magazines were hiring wood engravers, he sought out Henry W. Herrick, a retired illustrator and engraver living in Manchester, New Hampshire. Herrick gave him some training and a reference to Foster Cross of the Boston engraving firm Kilburn and Cross; there he received further training. Returning to Manchester in 1870, he spent two years working for Colonel John B. Clark, supplying engravings to illustrate his newspaper, the Mirror and Farmer. In these years he also conceived and organized the Manchester Art Association.
In 1872 French went to New York, where he first worked for the American Tract Society engraving reproductions of paintings for the society's publications. By 1875 he was working independently. Within a year or two, John G. Smithwick invited him into partnership. The enterprise survived for several years, until Smithwick became a supervisor of illustrations at Harper and Brothers. The partners were known for treating their young assistants as students, setting aside time for regular periods of instruction. By 1880 French was working on a regular basis for Harper's New Monthly Magazine, mostly producing the engraved reproductions of paintings for which he was highly regarded. His major work, the book Home Fairies and Heart Flowers: Twenty Studies of Children's Heads, was published in 1887 by Harper and Brothers; the models for some of the heads were his own children.
French was a member of the Society of American Wood Engravers; the Artists' Fund Society of New York (he served on its board of control); the Kit Kat Club; and the Salmagundi Club. In 1889 he was appointed to the United States Commission for the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900, selecting engravings and etchings to be exhibited there. He received medals in the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893; the Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, 1901; and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Saint Louis, 1904.
In about 1906, with photomechanical-reproduction processes rapidly replacing the engraver's art in the publishing field, French returned to New Hampshire and to painting, which he had never entirely given up. He worked in both portraiture and landscape. In the Brick Church section of East Orange, New Jersey, in 1885, French had started a club of engravers called the Carbonari, whose purpose seems to have been gaining some instruction in drawing. The teacher they hired was William J. Baer. French made his first appearance in an Academy exhibition in the 1921 winter show with a selection of graphic work; he was elected to membership in the graphic artist classification the following spring. He was represented by his paintings, however, in the annuals of 1924, 1925, and 1927. Some of his earlier wood engravings were shown in the annuals of 1930 and 1931.
RP
In 1872 French went to New York, where he first worked for the American Tract Society engraving reproductions of paintings for the society's publications. By 1875 he was working independently. Within a year or two, John G. Smithwick invited him into partnership. The enterprise survived for several years, until Smithwick became a supervisor of illustrations at Harper and Brothers. The partners were known for treating their young assistants as students, setting aside time for regular periods of instruction. By 1880 French was working on a regular basis for Harper's New Monthly Magazine, mostly producing the engraved reproductions of paintings for which he was highly regarded. His major work, the book Home Fairies and Heart Flowers: Twenty Studies of Children's Heads, was published in 1887 by Harper and Brothers; the models for some of the heads were his own children.
French was a member of the Society of American Wood Engravers; the Artists' Fund Society of New York (he served on its board of control); the Kit Kat Club; and the Salmagundi Club. In 1889 he was appointed to the United States Commission for the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900, selecting engravings and etchings to be exhibited there. He received medals in the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893; the Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, 1901; and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Saint Louis, 1904.
In about 1906, with photomechanical-reproduction processes rapidly replacing the engraver's art in the publishing field, French returned to New Hampshire and to painting, which he had never entirely given up. He worked in both portraiture and landscape. In the Brick Church section of East Orange, New Jersey, in 1885, French had started a club of engravers called the Carbonari, whose purpose seems to have been gaining some instruction in drawing. The teacher they hired was William J. Baer. French made his first appearance in an Academy exhibition in the 1921 winter show with a selection of graphic work; he was elected to membership in the graphic artist classification the following spring. He was represented by his paintings, however, in the annuals of 1924, 1925, and 1927. Some of his earlier wood engravings were shown in the annuals of 1930 and 1931.
RP
