author
Frank Fowler
1852–1910
A Brooklyn-born painter, teacher, and art writer, he spent years studying in Florence and Paris before building a career in portrait and figure painting back in the United States. He also wrote practical books on drawing and painting that helped bring studio training to a wider audience.
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About the author
Born in Brooklyn on July 12, 1852, Frank Fowler became known as an American figure and portrait painter. He studied first at Adelphi Academy, then continued his art training in Europe, working with Edwin White in Florence and later studying in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts under Alexandre Cabanel and with Carolus-Duran.
After returning to the United States, Fowler built a reputation as a painter of portraits and large decorative works. He was active in New York art circles, became an associate of the National Academy of Design in 1892, and was elected a full academician in 1900.
Fowler was also a writer and teacher. In the 1880s and 1890s he published instructional books including Oil Painting, Drawing in Charcoal and Crayon, and Portrait and Figure Painting, which reflect his interest in making academic art methods clear and useful for students. He died on August 18, 1910.