American Monotypes from the Baker/Pisano Collection | Page 35

Frank Duveneck (American, 1848–1919)
Portrait of a Man, n.d.

Monotype, 7 7/16 x 4 15/16 in.
Chazen Museum of Art, gift of D. Frederick Baker from the
Baker/Pisano Collection, 2014.6.6

There are only about a dozen known monotypes by Frank
Duveneck to have survived (almost all in museums), but he is
known as one of the most important American purveyors of
the craft. Along with William Merritt Chase, he may have
been introduced to the art of monotype making while a student
at the Munich Academy (1869–1873). After his studies in
Munich, Duveneck moved to Florence, Italy, soon joined by
many of his newly recruited students. During the winter of
1879, Duveneck and his students, known as the Duveneck
Boys, made monotypes using a printing press owned by the
American artist Otto Bacher who was working in Florence at
the time. A year or so later, this informal group would assemble at
the Florence home of the American sculptor, Thomas Ball, where
they continued to make monotypes during their regular
get-togethers. Duveneck made several caricatures of group
members, perhaps including Portrait of a Man.
NOTES:

Tolles, American Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 239.

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