Frank E. Schoonover
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Frank Earle Schoonover (August 19, 1877 – September 1, 1972) was an American
illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...
who worked in Wilmington, Delaware. A member of the Brandywine School, he was a contributing illustrator to magazines and did more than 5,000 paintings.


Early life

Schoonover was born on August 19, 1877 in
Oxford, New Jersey Oxford is an Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Oxford Township, New Jersey, Oxford Township in Warren County, New Jersey, Warren County, New Jersey ...
. He studied under Howard Pyle at the
Drexel Institute Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...
in Philadelphia.


Career

Schoonover became part of what would be known as the Brandywine School. A prolific contributor to books and magazines during the early twentieth century, the so-called "Golden Age of Illustration", he illustrated stories as diverse as Clarence Mulford's ''
Hopalong Cassidy Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He was ...
'' stories and
Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...
's '' A Princess of Mars''. In 1918 and 1919, he produced a series of paintings along with
Gayle Porter Hoskins Gayle Porter Hoskins (July 20, 1887 – January 14, 1962) was an American illustrator. Hoskins began his training at the Chicago Art Institute and later studied under Howard Pyle in Wilmington, Delaware. Life and art He was born in Brazil, I ...
illustrating the American forces in the First World War for a series of souvenir prints published in the '' Ladies Home Journal''. Over the course of his career, he did more than 5,000 paintings. Schoonover helped to organize what is now the Delaware Art Museum and was chairman of the fundraising committee charged with acquiring works by Howard Pyle. In his later years he restored paintings including some by Pyle and turned to easel paintings of the Brandywine and Delaware landscapes. He also gave art lessons, established a small art school in his
studio A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design ...
, designed stained glass windows, and dabbled in science fiction art (illustrating
Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...
’ '' A Princess of Mars''), he was known locally as the “Dean of Delaware Artists.”


Death

Schoonover died on September 1, 1972 in Wilmington, Delaware, at 95.


Alvin York painting

Schoonover’s name received national attention in 2011 when his painting of World War I hero
Alvin C. York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known as Sergeant York, was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine ...
was returned to York’s home state of Tennessee. Businessman and philanthropist Allan Jones of
Cleveland, Tennessee Cleveland is the county seat of and largest city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 47,356 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Cleveland metropolitan area, Tennessee (consisting of Bradley and neigh ...
purchased the painting on
Veteran’s Day Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces (who were discharged under conditions other than dis ...
from the Blakeslee Gallery in Wellington, Florida. Jones said, "When I learned that Mr. Blakeslee would consider selling the painting to the right buyer, I felt it was essential to bring this piece back to its rightful home in Tennessee and have the painting here on Veterans Day 11-11-11." Prior to being acquired by Jones, the painting was on loan to the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum. File:Hopalong-Takes-Command.jpg, ''Hopalong Takes Command'', 1905. Oil on canvas File:Princess of Mars large.jpg, Cover illustration of
Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...
's ''A Princess of Mars'', 1917 File:Blackbeard, Buccaneer - Cover (level).jpg, Cover of ''Blackbeard, Buccaneer'', 1922 File:Schoonover Hans Brinker 1924.JPG, ''
Hans Brinker Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi ...
''


See also

* Brandywine School * Delaware Art Museum *
Frank E. Schoonover Studios The Frank E. Schoonover Studios in Wilmington, Delaware comprise a historic building that was used by the students of illustrator Howard Pyle, including the original tenants Frank Schoonover, N.C. Wyeth, Harvey Dunn, and Clifford Ashley. Philan ...


References


Sources

* Laurence S Cutler; Judy Goffman Cutler;
National Museum of American Illustration The National Museum of American Illustration (NMAI), founded in 1998, is the first national museum to be devoted exclusively to American illustration artwork. The NMAI is located on Newport, Rhode Island's historic Bellevue Avenue in the mansion V ...
. ''Maxfield Parrish and the American Imagists''. Edison, NJ: Wellfleet Press, 2004. ; * Harrington, Peter, "Images of the Great War," ''American History'', Vol. XXXI, No. 5, Nov-Dec. 1996, pp. 30–36, 64 * Harrington, Peter, "The Great War Paintings of Frank E. Schoonover," ''Military Heritage'', No. 1, August 1999, pp. 66–69.


External links


Bud Plant's BiographyFrank Schoonover fundSchoonover StudiosThe National Museum of American IllustrationDelaware Art Museum
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schoonover, Frank 1877 births 1972 deaths American people of German descent Drexel University alumni 19th-century American painters 19th-century American male artists American male painters 20th-century American painters People from Warren County, New Jersey Artists from Wilmington, Delaware Painters from New Jersey Painters from Delaware 20th-century American male artists