Barry Faulkner
Barry Faulkner (full name: Francis Barrett Faulkner; July 12, 1881 – October 27, 1966) was an American artist primarily known for his
Two of Faulkner's murals are exhibited on either side of America's original founding documents in the
Background
Faulkner was born in
Faulkner returned to the U.S. in 1910, and thereafter worked as a muralist from his studio in New York City (Faulkner 1973). In 1926, he was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate member, and became a full Academician in 1931. He continued to serve as a trustee and active member of the American Academy and in 1960 received a Rome Medal for outstanding service.[1]
Camouflage contributions
With the outbreak of World War I, he and other New York artists anticipated the
Murals
Throughout his life, Faulkner's main achievements were as a muralist. His earliest commissions (beginning in 1907) were for murals in the homes of prominent families (Rumrill 2007). These led in turn to commissions for murals or mosaics for (among others):
- Washington Irving High School, New York City, 1916–19
- The Cunard Building, New York City
- Eastman Theatre, Rochester, New York, 1922
- Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 1927 (now the Canadian Parliament Wellington Building)
- University of Illinois Library, Urbana, Illinois, 1928
- Mortensen Hall at Bushnell Center, Hartford, Connecticut, 1931
- RCA Building, Rockefeller Center, New York City, 1933
- Phillips Academy Andover, Andover, Massachusetts, 1934
- National Archives Building (Rotunda of the Charters of Freedom), Washington, D.C., 1936[2]
- Oregon State Capitol, Salem, Oregon, 1938, including a panel in the House chamber behind the Speaker's desk that depicts the 1843 meeting at Champoeg when Oregon formed a provisional government
- Senate Chamber, New Hampshire State Capitol, Concord (including a panel depicting Abbott H. Thayer and his followers), 1942
- John Hancock Building, Boston, 1949
- Keene National Bank (now Bank of America), Keene, New Hampshire, 1950
- Cheshire County Savings Bank, Keene, New Hampshire, 1955 (now at the Historical Society of Cheshire County)
The center panel of the ceiling in Mortensen Hall is the largest hand-painted ceiling mural in the United States. The work, entitled Drama, is based on Greek motifs although it is an ode to American progress in the early 20th century, including aviation, architecture, cinema and dramatic arts. The mural cost $50,000 in 1929.
Several murals in the large foyer of the Washington Irving High School auditorium depict scenes from New York state history.
In 2007, the Historical Society of Cheshire County produced a full-color book about Faulkner's achievements as a muralist, with audio recordings of the artist talking about his life (Rumrill 2007).
References
- ^ "Finding Aid". American Academy in Rome records, 1855-[ca.1981], (bulk dates 1894-1946). Archives of American Art. 2011. Retrieved 17 Jun 2011.
- ^ "1936 Faulkner Murals". 5 November 2015.
Bibliography
- ISBN 0-9713244-0-9.
- ___ (2009), Camoupedia: A Compendium of Research on Art, Architecture and Camouflage. Dysart, Iowa: Bobolink Books. ISBN 978-0-9713244-6-6.
- Faulkner, Barry (1973), Sketches from an Artist’s Life. Dublin, New Hampshire: William Bauhan. ISBN 978-0-87233-023-8.
- Rumrill, Alan F., and Carl B. Jacobs, Jr. (2007), Steps to Great Art: Barry Faulkner and the Art of the Muralist. Keene, New Hampshire: Historical Society of Cheshire County. ISBN 978-0-9724478-7-4.
- White, Nelson C. (1951), Abbott H. Thayer: Painter and Naturalist. Hartford, Connecticut: Connecticut Printers.
- ____ (1999), "The Faulkner Murals: The Barry Faulkner Murals at Washington Irving High School, History, Conservation, and Education". New York: Municipal Art Society of New York.