Frank S. Hermann
American, 1886 - 1945
Artist Bio: Frank Simon Herrmann (1866-1942)
Frank Simon Herrmann was a prominent American painter known for his Impressionist landscapes and innovative approach to abstraction. Born in 1866, Herrmann developed a lifelong friendship with Alfred Stieglitz during their studies in New York City. The two artists embarked on creative journeys together in the 1890s, traveling through Paris, Munich, and Katwyk in Holland.
In Paris, Herrmann honed his skills as an academic realist under the guidance of renowned artist William Bouguereau. By 1895, he settled in Munich, where he spent the next 24 years, establishing himself as a leading figure in the German art scene. Herrmann became known as "the tulip field painter," earning acclaim for his vibrant landscapes that captured the essence of rural beauty, reminiscent of fellow expatriate George Hitchcock.
His home became a cultural hub, attracting young German expressionists and intellectuals who gathered for weekly meetings. In 1911, he co-founded the Munich secessionist group "SEMA" with Paul Klee, and in 1913, he became a charter member of Kandinsky's "New Secession." This period marked a significant shift in his work as he embraced lyric abstraction, predominantly using gouache.
Herrmann remained in Munich throughout World War I, but returned to New York in 1919, settling in his father’s mansion in Elberon, New Jersey. At 61, he held his first solo exhibition in the U.S. at Babcock Galleries in New York City. His work was later represented by J.B. Neumann's New Art Circle, where he was grouped with notable artists like Max Beckmann under the banner of "New Objectivity."
Despite being a prolific artist, producing thousands of works, much of his art was lost during the turmoil of the two World Wars. Preferring to avoid the limelight, Herrmann dedicated his later years to painting in the serene surroundings of his family mansion. His daughter, Eva, was also an artist, gaining recognition as a caricaturist. Herrmann's signature, "F.S. Herrmann," became a recognizable mark of his distinct style, with few oils from before the 1910s and a strong emphasis on gouache in his later works.
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