American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

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 complicate ...

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

Brandywine School The Brandywine School was a style of illustration—as well as an artists colony in Wilmington, Delaware and in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, near the Brandywine River—both founded by artist Howard Pyle (1853–1911) at the end of the 19th centu ...

Oxford, New Jersey Oxford is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Oxford Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States, that was created as part of the 2010 United States Census. He studied under

Howard Pyle Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American illustrator, Painting, painter, and author, primarily of books for young people. He was a native of Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington, Delaware, and he spent the last year of his life ...

at the

Drexel Institute Drexel University is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony Joseph Drexel, Anthony J. Drexel, a financier ...

in Philadelphia.

Career

Schoonover became part of what would be known as the

Brandywine School The Brandywine School was a style of illustration—as well as an artists colony in Wilmington, Delaware and in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, near the Brandywine River—both founded by artist Howard Pyle (1853–1911) at the end of the 19th centu ...

when he opted to study art rather than the ministry. 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 wa ...

'' stories and

Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American writer, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan (who appeared in ...

's ''

A Princess of Mars ''A Princess of Mars'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first of his Barsoom series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine ''All-Story Magazine'' from February–July, 1912. Full of swordplay and da ...

''. In 1918 and 1919, he produced a series of paintings along with Gayle Porter Hoskins illustrating the American forces in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

for a series of souvenir prints published in the ''

Ladies Home Journal ''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine that ran until 2016 and was last published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first published on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century ...

''. Over the course of his career, he made more than 5,000 paintings, many of which were influenced by his travels and the people he met. Schoonover helped to organize what is now the

Delaware Art Museum The Delaware Art Museum is an art museum located on the Kentmere Parkway in Wilmington, Delaware, which holds a collection of more than 12,000 objects. The museum was founded in 1912 as the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts in honor of the arti ...

and was chairman of the fundraising committee charged with acquiring works by

Howard Pyle Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American illustrator, Painting, painter, and author, primarily of books for young people. He was a native of Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington, Delaware, and he spent the last year of his life ...

. In his later years he restored paintings including some by Pyle and turned to easel paintings of the Brandywine and

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

landscapes. He also gave art lessons, established a small art school in his

studio A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater. The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to study or zeal. Types Art The studio of any artist, esp ...

, 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 writer, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan (who appeared in ...

’ ''

A Princess of Mars ''A Princess of Mars'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first of his Barsoom series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine ''All-Story Magazine'' from February–July, 1912. Full of swordplay and da ...

''), he was known locally as the “Dean of Delaware Artists.”

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 by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor fo ...

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. The population was 47,356 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Cleveland metropolitan area, Tennessee (consisting of Bradle ...

, 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. It coincides with holidays in several countries, i ...

from the Blakeslee Gallery in

Wellington, Florida Wellington is a village west of West Palm Beach in Palm Beach County and north of Miami. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area and the fifth largest municipality in Palm Beach County by population. As of the 2020 census, the village had a po ...

. 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.

Death and legacy

Schoonover died on September 1, 1972, in Wilmington, Delaware, at 95. The Delaware Art Museum and the Hagley Library maintain an archive of his work and a number of his paintings are held at the Delaware Art 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 writer, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan (who appeared in ...

'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''

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 in the Vernon Court mansion on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Is ...

. ''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

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schoonover, Frank 1877 births 1972 deaths 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

Early life

Career

Alvin York painting

Death and legacy

See also

References

Sources

External links