Frank William Cuprien (August 23, 1871 – June 21, 1948) was an American

plein-air ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

painter of the California

impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

movement, noted for marine scenes and opalescent seascapes. As a leading member of the

Laguna Beach, California Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservation efforts, and a ...

art colony, Cuprien became known as the "Dean of Laguna Artists."

Education

Cuprien, born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, studied both art and music. He took his art training at the Art Students League of New York and the

Cooper Union Institute The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) is a private college at Cooper Square in New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in ...

. He then studied landscape painting under

Carl Philipp Weber Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of te ...

in Philadelphia. During an 11-year residency in Europe, Cuprien studied art in Rome, with

Karl Raupp Karl Raupp (2 March 1837 in Darmstadt – 14 June 1918 in Munich) was a German landscape and genre painter. Biography After studying genre painting under Jakob Becker at the Städel Institute in Frankfurt, he became a pupil and zealous foll ...

in Munich, and at the Academie Julian in Paris. Cuprien was also formally trained in voice and classical piano, attending the royal conservatory in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

(

Hochschule für Musik und Theater München The University of Music and Performing Arts Munich (german: Hochschule für Musik und Theater München), also known as the Munich Conservatory, is a performing arts conservatory in Munich, Germany. The main building it currently occupies is ...

) and graduating from the royal conservatory of

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

(

Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig The University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig (german: Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig) is a public university in Leipzig (Saxony, Germany). Founded in 1843 by Felix Mendelssohn ...

) in 1905.

Career

After returning to the United States from Europe, Cuprien spent 5 years teaching art at

Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the ...

in Texas. In 1912, he became enamored with the coastline of Southern California and briefly lived on Catalina Island before moving permanently to

. Cuprien moved into a rustic studio on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and named it "The Viking." Cuprien became an integral member of the artist community in Laguna Beach where he helped establish the Laguna Beach Art Association and its art gallery. His home was a gathering place for fellow artists, and served as a site for exhibitions and Cuprien's piano recitals. Cuprien became known as the "Dean of Laguna artists."

Death

In 1948, Cuprien died after suffering a stroke. In his will, he left his estate to the Laguna Beach Art Association and requested that he be buried in his blue painter's smock. The street Cuprien Way in Laguna Beach was later named in his honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuprien, Frank 1871 births 1948 deaths American Impressionist painters American landscape painters People from Brooklyn 20th-century American painters American male painters 20th-century American male artists