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Frank Meyer Boggs was born in Springfield, Ohio, in 1855. While still young, he was brought to
New York where his father was a newspaper executive. He began his career early: at
seventeen he took his first job as a wood engraver at Harper’s; at twenty-one, he went to Paris
to
study scene painting. Finding no one in Paris to instruct him in his newly chosen profession, he
enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts where he studied painting under Jean-Léon Gérôme.
When Boggs returned to America after two years abroad, he encountered a somewhat hostile
atmosphere. Older members of the National Academy of Design were unwilling to accept the
advanced styles embraced by many young American artists returning from studies in Europe. As
a result, the latter founded a new organization in 1877, the Society of American Artists.
Eventually, some members, such as J. Alden Weir, William Merritt Chase and John Twachtman
modified their styles to fit conditions at home. Others, like Boggs, returned to Europe to pursue
their careers.
In 1880, Boggs was again in Paris. That year he began to exhibit at the Paris Salon: while his
paintings were well received it was two years before he truly attracted the attention of critics.
Place de la Bastille, 1882, was the turning point. To the French, this painting seemed to capture
the subtle atmospheric quality of their capital city on an overcast day – a totally intangible
yet
stirring effect. So strong were reactions to the painting that, although it was the work of an artist
only twenty-seven years old and a foreigner, the government bought it for the Luxembourg
Museum in Paris. In 1883 the honor was repeated when the government bought a second
painting, Le port d’Isigny, which was given to the Museum of Niort.
While centering his career in Europe, Boggs continued to seek recognition at home. In the early
1880s, he sent paintings to Boston, Pennsylvania, New York and Chicago. In 1881 he received a
bronze medal in Boston for A Fishing Boat (Dieppe) and in 1884 a cash prize from the American
Art Gallery in New York for A Rough Day, Harbor of Honfleur, now at the Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston. His painting at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago won him a silver medal.
Arsène Alexandre, who published a detailed biography of Boggs in 1929, placed a great
importance on the uniqueness of the artist’s work. He emphasized this quality in relation to other
well known artists of his era, such as Eugène Boudin or Johannès Jongkind. Boggs was certainly
acquainted with both artists. He also became friends with Monet, Renoir and Sisley.
Contemporary American critics tended to view Boggs as an Impressionist, especially when he
exhibited in New York early in his career. But although his brush became loose and free and his
palette lightened as he matured, the artist never completely adopted Impressionistic methods. A
master of cloudy skies, he was more strongly attracted to the soft light of misty mornings and
rainy afternoons than brilliant sunlight.
In 1923, Boggs became a French citizen. Three years later, preparations were underway to
award him the Legion of Honor. When informed of this coveted recognition by his adopted
country, he expressed great delight. Sadly, Frank Meyer Boggs died the day before the award
was made public.
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