Return To Peekskill: 1930s Paintings by Arthur Frischke

Return To
Peekskill: 1930s Paintings by Arthur Frischke

May 3 – May
31, 2014

Opening
Reception:  Saturday, May
3/ 3-6 PM

   The Field Gallery is honored to bring home the works of Arthur Frischke
(1893-1970), a New York City artist whose informative paintings richly
illustrate scenes of Peekskill life in the 1930s. Originally shown at The Field
Library in 1982, these vibrant and important works are now on display once
again.

   Known for  his 1930s realism and Ashcan School influence,
Frischke’s  careful brushstrokes depict the River Town streets of
Peekskill bustling  with proud townsfolk,  horse drawn carts  and
early cars;  the mighty  Hudson
River, with its heavy  commerce of steamboats,  often sets  the
backdrop.  In other scenes, Uptown’s gracious houses and wide, open lanes
are likewise carefully depicted.   Local landmarks such as Annsville
Creek, Depew Homestead, Lower Main Street, Route 9, and the construction of the
Bear Mountain Bridge are portrayed in their infancy.

 Arthur Frischke was born in New York City in 1853 and studied at Cooper
Union and the National Academy of Design, and was also a member of the American
Artists Professional League.  He left the Academy of Design at the age of 24
and in the ‘30s became enamored of Peekskill and the Hudson Highlands.  He soon became a familiar sight in the area,
where he was seen riding about town on a motorcycle with his art supplies
strapped across the back. 

 Frischke continued a successful career,
exhibiting in New York City and the East Coast throughout his 70s where he
maintained a studio in the Bronx. He died in 1970, leaving a rich legacy still highly
sought after by collectors today.   

In 2013, Arthur Frischke’s
paintings were rediscovered and shown at the Flat Iron Gallery in Peekskill,
where they were purchased and donated to the Field Library via a generous gift
by Peekskill native and philanthropist Dr.  Bernard S. Yudowitz.  Dr.
Yudowitz is instrumental in restoring and preserving many of Peekskill’s
treasures,  including B. James
Thornley’s  historic 1934 WPA mural   “Technology Advancement.”

The Field Gallery is
located in the Field Library at 4 Nelson Avenue, Peekskill, New York. For
further information please call  914-737-1212, email Alicia Morgan,
Gallery Curator at amorgan@wlsmail.org, or visit the library's website at www.peekskill.org