Frederick Ballard Williams
American, 1871 - 1956
(1871-1956) F. Ballard William studied art at Cooper Union, the New York Institute of Artists and Artisans, and the National Academy of Design. He spent most of his life in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, but also painted in North Carolina and San Francisco. In 1910 he and painters Thomas Moran, Edward Potthast, Elliott Daingerfield, and De Witt Parshall formed the Society of Painters of the Far West, which sponsored annual traveling art shows. The group traveled to the Grand Canyon under the auspices of the Santa Fe Railway and American Lithographic Company. Williams painted primarily two types of landscapes: those peopled with idealized figures, influenced by 17th- and 18th-century French painting; and landscapes with broad vistas seen from an elevated perspective. He usually painted in his studio rather than from nature, and signed some of his work as " Frank Ballard Williams." He was active in many art associations and exhibited widely in America and London, Paris, Venice, Rome, and Peru. He won numerous awards and his work is found in many U.S. museums. Biography courtesy of Roger King Gallery of Fine Art,
Frederick Ballard Williams was a remarkably proficient landscape and figure painter who was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1871 and died in Glen Ridge, NJ in 1956 (where he moved in 1895).
Williams studied at Cooper Union; with J.W. Stimson; at the NY Institute of Artist and Artisans, and the National Academy with C.Y. Turner, W.H. Gibson and E.M. Ward; and in England and France. The fun-loving, gregarious, ever-helpful Williams an "artists artist" who wanted to assist artists advance in talent and fame. He was an Associate (1907) and a full Academician (1909) of the National Academy of Design, NYC; the Lotos Club; the New York Water Color Club; Salmagundi Club (president, 1914-1919); National Arts Club; New York City Society of Painters; Montclair Art Association (president, 1924-1925; chairman of the art committee for 35 years) and the American Artists Professional League, NYC (founding president, 1928; national chairman for 22 years).
He exhibited widely and won awards and medals at the National Academy (1909); Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, NY (1901); American Artists Professional League gold medal (1949) and in that year the Montclair Art Museum gave him a retrospective exhibition; Salmagundi Club (1898, 1907), and more. His work is represented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art; National Gallery of Art; Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo; Montclair Art Museum, NJ; Lotos Club; National Art Club; Corcoran Gallery of Art; Brooklyn Institute; St. Louis Art Museum; National Gallery in Lima, Peru; Drexel Institute, Philadelphia; Cincinnati Art Museum; Dallas AA and more. He went to San Francisco in 1896 and 1901 and in 1910 he became a part of the famous Santa Fe Railway and American Lithographic Company sponsored trip to the Grand Canyon (with such painters as Thomas Moran and Edward Henry Potthast). He is represented in 16 museums.
Painting like The Jade Necklace shows Williams adoration of the human figure in a romantic setting that exploits the beauties of the human body and nature and his exposure to the French rococo painting of Antoine Watteau. The painting is Barbizon in tone and academically handled with glowing light coming from the figures as light shines upon them. The William Macbeth Gallery of New York City was the artist's main dealer and The Worshippers was exhibited there.
References: Who Was Who in American Art, vol. 3, p. 3577; Who's Who in American Art, 1947-1953; Three Hundred Years of American Art, p. 646.
Biography courtesy of Roughton Galleries, www.antiquesandfineart.com/roughton
Williams studied at Cooper Union; with J.W. Stimson; at the NY Institute of Artist and Artisans, and the National Academy with C.Y. Turner, W.H. Gibson and E.M. Ward; and in England and France. The fun-loving, gregarious, ever-helpful Williams an "artists artist" who wanted to assist artists advance in talent and fame. He was an Associate (1907) and a full Academician (1909) of the National Academy of Design, NYC; the Lotos Club; the New York Water Color Club; Salmagundi Club (president, 1914-1919); National Arts Club; New York City Society of Painters; Montclair Art Association (president, 1924-1925; chairman of the art committee for 35 years) and the American Artists Professional League, NYC (founding president, 1928; national chairman for 22 years).
He exhibited widely and won awards and medals at the National Academy (1909); Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, NY (1901); American Artists Professional League gold medal (1949) and in that year the Montclair Art Museum gave him a retrospective exhibition; Salmagundi Club (1898, 1907), and more. His work is represented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art; National Gallery of Art; Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo; Montclair Art Museum, NJ; Lotos Club; National Art Club; Corcoran Gallery of Art; Brooklyn Institute; St. Louis Art Museum; National Gallery in Lima, Peru; Drexel Institute, Philadelphia; Cincinnati Art Museum; Dallas AA and more. He went to San Francisco in 1896 and 1901 and in 1910 he became a part of the famous Santa Fe Railway and American Lithographic Company sponsored trip to the Grand Canyon (with such painters as Thomas Moran and Edward Henry Potthast). He is represented in 16 museums.
Painting like The Jade Necklace shows Williams adoration of the human figure in a romantic setting that exploits the beauties of the human body and nature and his exposure to the French rococo painting of Antoine Watteau. The painting is Barbizon in tone and academically handled with glowing light coming from the figures as light shines upon them. The William Macbeth Gallery of New York City was the artist's main dealer and The Worshippers was exhibited there.
References: Who Was Who in American Art, vol. 3, p. 3577; Who's Who in American Art, 1947-1953; Three Hundred Years of American Art, p. 646.
Biography courtesy of Roughton Galleries, www.antiquesandfineart.com/roughton
