Frederick J. Mulhaupt - 1871-1938 - Brief Article

Magazine Antiques, April, 2002

Gloucester, Massachusetts has long been a magnet for artists, who are drawn to the light and activity found in this picturesque fishing village. Nineteenth century painter Fitz Hugh Lane (1804-1865) often used Gloucester as a backdrop for his luminist seascapes, and Winslow Homer (1836-1910) produced his first series of watercolors there in 1873. Frederick J. Mulhaupt, who painted in New York City for the first part of his career, finally settled in Gloucester permanently in 1921, stating that Gloucester "duplicates any views I care to paint."

Mulhaupt established himself as a beloved teacher in this bustling artistic community and won national acclaim for his handling of color and composition. The Salmagundi Club awarded him the Porter Prize in 1921; he received the medal for landscape at the Philadelphia SesquiCentennial in 1925; and the National Academy of Design appointed him an associate member, the highest honor bestowed on contemporary artists of the day.

At a major retrospective of Frederick Mulhaupt's work held by the North Shore Arts Association in 1999, the accompanying catalogue hailed the artist as the "Dean of the Cape Ann School" -- quire a compliment from an association, founded in 1922, whose members have numbered in the thousands.