Biography
Frank Peers was an artist and commercial illustrator. He was born in Topeka, Kansas, on November 2, 1891. His parents, Dr. Theodore W. Peers and Stella Wagner, had four children in total: Esther, Adeline, Frank, and Irene. Frank attended Topeka High School and Washburn College. During his studies, he created many illustrations for student papers including The High School World, The Kaw, and The Ichabodian.
After graduating from Washburn College in 1916, Frank disembarked for the East Coast, where he began pursuing an education in architecture in Boston. His studies were interrupted by the advent of World War I. He was first stationed in Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts before leaving with the American Committee for Relief in the Near East (ACRNE) in 1919 from New York.
After his return to the United States in 1920, Frank established himself as an artist in New York. He traveled extensively throughout the 1920s and '30s, returning to Europe and, in particular, studying abroad in France and Italy. He began working as an illustrator for Macmillan Publishing in the 1930s and had a successful career until his death in 1938. He experimented with many artistic mediums, but is best known for his woodblock prints and book illustrations.
France
“We are in France—'la belle France'—and it is so far above my fondest hopes for beauty and picturesqueness that I am excited all the time.”
Frank Peers, letter dated February 24, 1919, France
Frank and his sister Adeline first explored France during their time with the American Committee for Relief in the Near East (ACRNE) in 1919, when they arrived on the Leviathan headed to the Near East. During their year-long service providing relief after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Frank emphasized his interest in pursuing art throughout his letters. Though he spent the majority of his time in Aleppo, Syria and the Turkish cities of Adana, Marash, and Aintab, Frank and Adeline had the opportunity to explore surrounding countries and parts of Europe. While in France, he was impressed by the artistic atmosphere, particularly in Paris, and set his sights on returning one day to study art. He returned in 1922 and continued to visit often until 1935. He created the following works during his studies there from 1925 to 1926.
“Paris is beautiful and I love it more all the time. I am coming back again someday sure and I hope it won’t be too long before I get the chance.”
Frank Peers, letter dated July 14, 1920
Frank Peers, Untitled, 1925, watercolor (Gift of Adeline Peers, 00-13-141)
Frank’s strokes take in the momentary vision of Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe, towering above the inhabitants of Le Puy on a June day. The spires, red roofs, and land fade in the distance, while the prominence of the chapel grows. The serenity of the billowing clouds permeates the cool, country background surrounding the volcanic peak. Lush, vivid greenery illuminates brief encounters of contrasting hues, guiding the gaze towards the sky. Built in the tenth century, the monumental Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe is separated from the city by over 250 daunting steps on a winding path. The chapel’s isolation signifies the untouched nature of this sacred space.
Frank Peers, Untitled, 1925, watercolor (Gift of Adeline Peers, 00-13-142)
Frank approaches Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe, now from a level perspective that encapsulates this sacred site that has brought pilgrims since the Middle Ages. Though the houses in the foreground dominate the viewer's immediate gaze, the width of the volcanic peak decreases, leading to the centrality of Saint Michel’s Romanesque chapel. The ragged, warm emphasis of the hill contrasts with the light hues around it, clearly separating the foreground and the background. The chapel is emphasized by its architecture, height, and permanence despite the centuries that have passed. Within Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe’s chapel, frescoes, stained glass, and vaulted passages filled with archways invite reflection about lost time.
Frank Peers, Le Puy, 1925, watercolor (Gift of Adeline Peers, 00-13-114)
The Notre-Dame Cathedral of Le Puy-en-Velay appears from a distance. Frank’s depiction of the city's saturated dwellings sprawls up the mountainous terrain. The contrast of the terracotta roofs slowly recedes into the cathedral itself, while simple, organic forms evoke the fleeting distance. On arrival, the cathedral reveals the grandiosity of its facade, cloister, relics, and eighth-century Madonna statue within. The brevity of Frank’s strokes maintains a sense of impressionistic reality, while his cognizance of religious prevalence in Le Puy-en-Velay transcends the imagery.
Frank Peers, Untitled, 1925, watercolor (Gift of Adeline Peers, 00-13-116)
Frank watches as a wagon crosses along the path in Le Puy-en-Velay. The faint sound of trickling water amongst the mossy bricks and arched bridges creates a serene scene that reflects the rich significance of Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe, visible in the distance. Soft, cool hues illuminate arches, a river reflection, and the stillness of this moment. The wagon may have been a familiar sight to Frank, who would have seen similar vehicles in the early twentieth-century United States.
Frank Peers, Untitled, 1925, watercolor (Gift of Adeline Peers, 00-13-143)
Peering through the passageways of Le Puy-en-Velay, the statue of the Notre-Dame de France appears. The mossy stone and arches allow for a view of this sculpture representing the Virgin Mary and Child Jesus, offering the city sanctuary. Frank's depiction of this statue by sculptor Jean-Marie Bonnassieux showcases the abundance of heritage in Le Puy-en-Velay, continuing well beyond the construction of cathedrals and chapels in the Middle Ages.
The Near East
“There are countless great mosques and lovely minarets; and the great piles of domes soften and merge into a purple dream against an opalescent sky and the minarets are crowned with gleaming sapphires, while against their trembling reflection in the water are silhouetted countless little sailboats and rowboats, often carrying a light that seems a huge jewel that about sinks the boat.”
Frank Peers, letter dated June 20, 1920, Sea of Marmara, Turkey
Frank’s work aiding relief efforts with the ACRNE led him to face dangerous times in the region. Nevertheless, his letters of 1919–20 reflect delight and astonishment at the Near East’s sacred spaces. During his work and travels, he visited mosques, ruins, and monuments in Syria, Turkey, Egypt, and around the Aegean Sea. His letters are full of vivid imagery narrating the sights he experienced, explaining bustling bazaars, garden courtyards, and mosques piercing the sky with their minarets. He also took care to painstakingly document his journey through his photography, yet he yearned to paint the scenes surrounding him. The following watercolors capture the sites he encountered during his time in the Near East.
“Every street was a picture and I longed for time to paint.”
Frank Peers, letter dated March 12, 1919, Constantinople, Turkey
Frank Peers, Untitled, c. 1920s, watercolor (Gift of Adeline Peers, 00-13-144)
Three bright white elongated domes rise above the city. The domes' smoothness blends into the pale gradient blues of the surrounding sky. Frank illustrates the vacant street lined with buildings and sparse greenery with an abundance of impressions encapsulated in his flowing strokes. Like a distant photograph, his remembrance of this location remains solely as a distinct reminder of his journeys beyond home, documenting monumentality.
Frank Peers, Untitled, 20th century, watercolor (Gift of Adeline Peers, 00-13-118)
The square bustles. Streetgoers in vivid garments fill the plaza leading to a mosque in the background. In his letters, Frank describes domes piercing the sky, minarets soaring above the cities, and beautiful furnishings inside mosques. This watercolor resonates with the experiences he recorded, capturing a lively bazaar surrounding a mosque at the heart of the city.
Architectural Sketches in New York and Beyond
“Don’t you miss NY? Foolish question–of course you do. I really love the place and when anybody mentions it I fly there in my dreams and re-enjoy some of my good times–that are not a few.”
Frank Peers, letter dated September 24, 1919, Aintab, Turkey
After his early life and studies in Topeka, Frank set his sights beyond the prairies and plains of Kansas. Upon his return to the United States from the Near East in 1920, he established his artistic practice in New York, working as a book illustrator for Macmillan Publishing. The city was his home for the remainder of his life. During this time, his interest in architecture—particularly sacred architecture—permeated throughout the body of work he created outside of his illustrations. The following charcoal drawings and sketches focus on documenting places instrumental to his life, such as New York, alongside sites he visited in France during his studies.
Frank Peers, Untitled, 20th century, charcoal (Gift of Adeline Peers, 00-22-66)
Skyscrapers tower in the distance of this New York view, bringing back some of Frank's fondest memories, a metropolitan utopia. Though this cityscape ranges beyond the sacred, it had great existential significance for Frank as a space of contemplation and return throughout his explorations. The city's open spaces and bustling centers were a source of inspiration. Quick, intentional lines sprawl throughout this depiction mimicking the brevity of the scene, taken in for a moment, lasting a lifetime through his art.
Frank Peers, Cathedral St. Pierre, Poitiers, 1926, charcoal (Gift of Adeline Peers, 00-22-61)
Saint-Pierre Cathedral stands within the city of Poitiers, France, a portal to the reign of Henry II Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Frank's depiction of its Gothic architecture conveys ornate facades, inviting the viewer to imagine standing in front of this site of religious and political power. Onlookers stand frozen in front of the arches, contemplating the dominating spires, stained glass, and the rendition of ‘The Last Judgment’ in the tympanum of the arches.
Frank Peers, Carcassonne, 1926, charcoal and chalk (Gift of Adeline Peers, 00-22-60)
This architectural sketch of the medieval powerhouse of Carcassonne conveys fortification, protection, and immense power. From the ramparts to the vaulted corridors, Frank captures the peculiarity of the passageway before him, emphasizing the shadows and admiring the bare face of stone. His drawing suggests the vitality and endurance of historic sites like Carcassonne.
Explore more
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