Framed William Draper Painting - Brittany, 1962

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Fine Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic Art

By Artemis Gallery

Apr 8, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-04-08 10:00:00 2021-04-08 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Fine Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-art-6770
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• Lot Description
  William Franklin Draper American, 1912-2003), "Rochefort en Terre, Brittany" oil on board, 1962. Signed "Wm. F. Draper" on lower right. A beautiful landscape painting of Brittany, France by American artist William Draper - presenting a bird's eye view of the steep rooftops of a church and surrounding vernacular buildings of the town as well as the natural, verdant landscape beyond. Note the monumental cross at the center of the composition, the parishioners ambling toward the house of worship, the sunlight dappling over the architecture, and the lush foliage, all delineated with Draper's signature loose brushwork and exceptional command of the palette knife. A wonderful composition set in a custom Louis XV style gilded frame with a brass plaque engraved with the artist's name at the bottom center. Size of painting: 23.375" W x 17.375" H (59.4 cm x 44.1 cm) Size of frame: 33.5" W x 27.375" H (85.1 cm x 69.5 cm)
  
  During the summer of 1963, Draper and his family visited Rochefort-en-Terre, Brittany, France. They were guests of American ex-patriate artist Trafford Klots (1913-1976) who had inherited a chateau that belonged to his father, American painter Alfred Klots, who had purchased it in the early 20th century, had it restored, and established an art colony. Trafford enjoyed inviting Draper and other artist friends to his home to paint the medieval architecture of this village that has been designated as a "Petite Cite de Caractere".
  
  William Draper's career spanned seven decades and his subjects included a portrait of John F. Kennedy that hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. based upon an oil sketch for which the president sat in 1962. Draper was actually the only artist who painted JFK from life. Draper showed at Knoedler, the Graham Gallery, Portraits, Inc., the Far Gallery, The Findlay Galleries (New York, NY) and the Robert C. Vose Galleries (Boston, MA). His work has been included in shows at the National Portrait Gallery and the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), The National Academy of Design (New York, NY), The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, (Boston, MA) the Fogg Art Museum, (one of the Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA), the National Gallery, (London), Salon de la Marine (Paris) and in museums in Australia. He also taught at the Art Students League of New York, and received a lifetime achievement award from the Portrait Society of America in 1999.
  
  More on the artist's background: William Franklin Draper was born in Hopedale, Massachusetts on December 24, 1912. A child prodigy, he studied classical piano at Harvard University. He later changed his focus to fine art and studied with Charles Webster Hawthorne and Henry Hensche in Provincetown, Rhode Island. Draper also attended the National Academy of Design in New York and the Cape Cod School of Art in Massachusetts. Then he traveled to Spain and studied with Harry Zimmerman, moved on to France and attended the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere. In 1937, he moved to Boston to study sculpture with George Demetrius and also studied with Jon Corbino in beautiful Rockport, Massachusetts. In 1942, Draper joined the Navy and served as a combat artist when stationed on the Aleutian Islands and in the South Pacific. He observed and painted battle scenes on Bougainville, Guam, Saipan, and other locations, as well as genre scenes of soldiers who were not engaged in combat but rather at work and at play. National Geographic magazine reproduced 25 of his war images in four issues in 1944. In 1945, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. organized a group exhibition of works by five official war artists, including Draper. That same year the Metropolitan Museum of Art included Draper in an exhibition entitled, ''The War Against Japan.'' Draper was also featured in a PBS television show about combat artists entitled, "They Drew Fire" in May of 2000. After the war, Draper opened a studio on Park Avenue in New York City and continued to not only paint, but also play classical and jazz piano.
  
  Provenance: The William F. Draper Collection, New York City, New York, USA, acquired via descent from the late William Franklin Draper (1912-2003)
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #152341

  Condition

  Painting is in excellent condition. Signed "Wm. F. Draper" on lower right. Draper Estate stamp on verso. Frame is in excellent condition. Notes on back with details about the custom frame (Louis XV, gold, and silver).
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