Frederick Simper (1914 – 2001)
Untitled “Winter
Landscape”
dated 1954
Water Color
Painting
Conservation includes 18 by
24 Rag Board matting with PH neutral back board. Painting is relative clean
with sporadic acidic condition due to paper being mounted to 1950 non-Ph
neutral board. All said a near abstracted modern painting with pronounced brush
strokes. A very solemn appearance projecting a peaceful existence.
No tears or repairs attached
with linen hinge tape securing original board to rag matting.
Paper / board: 13 x 21
in. (watercolor paper on board) Mat Site: 11 x 18 in.
Simper
was very humble yet an extremely successful man rising through the ranks of the
advertising world as the Art Director of D’Arcy-MacManus
& Masius Advertising in Detroit from 1949 through 1980. Plain spoken and very friendly he liked to
describe himself as a self – taught artist, true as it may be, he took this
successful teaching to become an instructor at the Department of Watercolor and
Commercial Art at the Art School of the Society of Arts & Crafts (now
College for Creative Studies, Detroit Mi) and later in life at the Birmingham
Bloomfield Art Association.
His painting where exhibited at The
Detroit Artist Market, Arwin Galleries, The Detroit Institute of Art, Scarab
Club and Springfield Art Museum to name a few.
As a statement of his accomplishments at the Detroit Institute of Art
during the Michigan Annual Artist Exhibition he won 15 prizes between 1942 and
1961. Mr. Simper was a true master of
watercolor paintings.
1942, (152. The Skaters (Water Color))The Friends of Modern Art Prize,
1943 (206. Ice Fishermen (Water Color)) Prize - The Mrs. Albert Kahn Watercolor Prize,
1944, (169. Changing of the Guard (Water Color)The Mrs. Albert
Kahn Watercolor Prize,
1945, (168. View of
Farmington (Water Color) The Mrs. Albert Kahn
Watercolor Prize (169. View of Goodison) The
Brooke, Smith, French & Dorrance,., Prize,The Mrs. Henry Wineman Prize,
1946 (183. Winter on Lake
St. Clair (Water Color)) The Mrs. Henry Wineman Prize & (184.
1947 (149. Sunday Morning (Water Color)) The Henry T. Ewald Prize, 1948 (141. Still Life with Violin) The Delia Imerman
Meyers Memorial Prize,
1949 (164. Breakfast The Mrs. Owen R. Skelton Prize).
1953 (162. Summer Woods (Water Color)) The David B. Werbe Memorial Prize,
1955 (160. Spring Swamp (Water Color)) The Mrs. Albert Kahn Water Color Prize,
1960 (158. Anemones and
Children (Water Color) (ill.)
(Paintings and Collage) ($250)) Museum Collection Purchase Prize,
1961 (181. Double Still Life (Water Color) (Paintings and Collage) ($150)) David
B. Werbe Purchase Prize