Frank Reed Whiteside
Mid-day, Zuni Village
1897

About the Item

Mid-day, Zuni Village, 1897 By. Frank Reed Whiteside (American, 1866-1929) Unframed: 20" x 30" Framed: 28" x 38" Frank Reed Whiteside, born in Philadelphia on 20 August 1867, became a student of Thomas Anshutz at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1888-92). He already began exhibiting there during his student years (1887-98). In 1893, he enrolled in the Académie Julian in Paris where he received instruction from Jean-Paul Laurens and Benjamin Constant. After his French academic training, Whiteside taught art in Philadelphia high schools. He took frequent trips to the Southwest between 1890 and 1928 to live with and paint the Zuni Indians. Whiteside depicted ceremonial dances, Zuni buildings, and other genre scenes, usually in blinding afternoon sunlight. He carefully observed the effects of light on vibrant color, using a finely crafted impressionist technique. He was fond of broad areas of color, subtle combinations of hues, and simplified shapes and silhouettes. Whiteside continued to exhibit at the PAFA (1905-15), at the Art Institute of Chicago (1896-1916), at the Carnegie International (1905 and 1907) and at the Corcoran Gallery (1907). He was a member of Philadelphia art societies and beginning in 1909 had a summer studio in Ogunquit, Maine, where he took part in Hamilton Easter Field's discussion groups. Frank's wife, Clara Walker Whiteside, who published Touring New England in 1926, was active in the Ogunquit Art Association. Like Stanford White, Frank Reed Whiteside was the victim of murder, on 19 September 1929, but Whiteside's case remains unsolved. One night, the sixty-three year-old painter answered the doorbell. Two witnesses heard the shot that killed Whiteside and another woman had seen several men loitering in the area. Police ruled out robbery as a motive because Whiteside's gold watch was left behind, however, keys were taken and thrown through a nearby window. At the time, Mrs. Whiteside was recuperating from an illness, in Maine. After the murder, when the house was vacated, a prowler broke in three times but nothing was taken. The house seems to have been cursed: the new tenants were burglarized shortly after they moved in and in 1946, a Philadelphia newspaperman was stabbed in the kitchen.

Creator:
Frank Reed Whiteside (1866-1929, American)
Creation Year:
1897
Dimensions:
Height: 20 in (50.8 cm)Width: 30 in (76.2 cm)
Medium:
Oil,Canvas
Period:
Late 19th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Missouri, MO
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU747312094322
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