Francis F. Brown Oil On Canvas The Backwater 1916: Francis Focer Brown (American, 1891–1971), 1916, impasto oil on canvas painting titled, 'The Backwater', an impressionist depiction of a frigate ship seen in a hidden cove surrounded by trees and with a building at the shore, signed, 'Francis F. Brown 16' on the face of the canvas and titled and priced in graphite by the artist on verso. Dimensions are: 24“ tall X 32“ wide. All measurements are approximate. Artist Biography: Francis Focer Brown (American, 1891–1971) was a well-known American Impressionist painter, as well as professor and head of the Fine Arts Department at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana from 1925–1957, and Director of the Muncie Art Museum. His work was exhibited frequently at the Hoosier Salon- Indiana Artists Annual, Herron School of Art Museum, Ball State University, Indiana State Fair, Indiana Art Club, and others. Brown studied with painters, John Ottis Adams and William Forsyth at the Herron School of Art; Ball State Teachers College, B.S.; Ohio State University, M.A. Member Indiana AC; Hoosier Salon. He exhibited at the Richmond Art Museum, 1922 (prize); John Herron Art Institute, 1922 (prize); Hoosier Salon, 1922–45 (awards); CMA, 1922–25; PAFA, 1922, 1923. Francis Focer Brown was a child prodigy drawn at an early age to the field of art. Born in Glassboro, New Jersey, Brown later relocated to Muncie, Indiana. During summer vacations while attending Muncie Southside High School, Brown received instruction from J. Ottis Adams in Brookville, Indiana. Following his instruction with Adams, Brown later enrolled at the John Herron Art Institute where he studied under William Forsyth (artist). Brown later shared a studio with his wife, Beulah H. Brown, whom he met while a student at the Herron Art Institute. Brown’s subject matter was often regional and depicted the Indiana countryside. His style resembled impressionism with a juxtaposition of contrasting colors and forms, which could encompass the Fauvist and Expressionist movements. Francis Focer Brown are in the permanent collections several Indiana museums including the John Herron Art Institute (now the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University), Ball State University’s Museum of Art, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and the Richmond Art Museum. Also known as Francis Brown and Francis F. Brown. Biography paraphrased from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Focer_Brown. Condition: Free of chips, cracks and restoration. Provenance: Oakridge Auction Gallery has been entrusted to bring an archive of paintings by Francis Focer Brown (American, 1891–1971) and Beulah H. Brown (American, 1892–1987), a.k.a. Beulah Elizabeth Hazelrigg Brown, to market. This archive is believed to have been part of the personal collection of one of the artists and was recently discovered languishing in storage. This is the first time in this generation these pieces have been seen and offered publicly.

Free of chips, cracks and restoration.