National Anthropological Archives

MS 1999-13 Frank W. Stokes paintings and drawings

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.MS1999-13
Creators:
Stokes, Frank Wilbert, 1858-1955
Dates:
1893-1905
undated
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
12 Drawings (visual works)
portraits
charcoal, pencil, crayon and chalk on paper
11 Paintings (visual works)
oil on canvas
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The collection consists of a total of twenty-three (23) paintings and drawings by Frank W. Stokes dating from 1893-1905. There are four (4) oil paintings of Inuit subjects, seven (7) small studies in oil of Arctic and Antarctic scenery, and twelve (12) portraits in charcoal, pencil, crayon, and chalk of Inughuit men and women in Northern Greenland.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.

Biographical Note

Biographical Note
Frank Wilbert Stokes (1858-1955) was an American artist best known for his paintings of the polar regions. Stokes began his studies under Thomas Eakins at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, followed by five years in France as a student at the Ecole des Beaux-Art, the Academie Colarossi and Academie Julian. He accompanied the Peary Relief Expedition to Greenland in 1892 and returned a year later as part of the North Greenland Expedition of 1893-1894. In 1902 he joined the Swedish Antarctic Expedition under Otto Nordenskjöld.

Administration

Custodial History
Frank W. Stokes bequethed over 200 works of art to the National Collection of Fine Arts (also known as the National Museum of American Art (NMAA) and now known as the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM)) prior to his death in 1955. The 23 drawings and paintings in this collection were transferred from SAAM to the National Anthropological Archives in 1998.
Processing Information
Six (6) picture frames dating from the 1960s which held small oil paintings were discarded in 2023.

Digital Content

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Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
MS 1999-13 Frank W. Stokes paintings and drawings, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Conditions Governing Use
Contact the repository for terms of use.

Related Materials
The Smithsonian American Art Museum holds additional paintings by Frank W. Stokes.
The Department of Anthropology holds objects collected on the Peary expedition, including clothing, sleds, and tools.

More Information

Local Numbers

Local Numbers
NAA MS 1999-13

Variant Title

Variant Title
Previously titled: "Frank W. Stokes artwork collection."


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Works of art Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Paintings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Inuit Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Inughuit (Cape York or Polar Eskimo) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Arctic regions Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Antarctica Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Greenland Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Peary Relief Expedition of 1892 Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

National Anthropological Archives
Museum Support Center
4210 Silver Hill Road
Suitland, Maryland 20746
Business Number: Phone: 301.238.1300
Fax Number: Fax: 301.238.2883
naa@si.edu