Title

Nankivell, Frank A.

Author

Butler, Roger

Source

[Not applicable]

Type

Biography

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

Frank A. Nankivell

 

Frank Nankivell was born in Maldon, Victoria in 1869. At the age of 21, much against his family’s will, he abandoned his training in architecture and engineering and left Australia intending to study painting in Paris. He travelled to Hong Kong where he worked as a lithographic illustrator and when he had earned sufficient money he continued on to Japan. While resident there during the period 1891 to 1894 he learnt the art of Japanese woodblock printing.

During 1894-96 Nankivell lived in San Francisco where he studied painting and illustrated popular magazines. He moved to New York in 1896 where he continued to work as an illustrator and caricaturist and produced lithographic posters.

In 1914 he served on the selection committee and exhibited woodblock prints in the Armory Show — the exhibition which introduced the American public to modern art from Europe.

In later life Nankivell specialised in the aquatint process although he continued to etch in a style reminiscent of his earlier magazine illustrations.

He had close contacts with Australian artists including Norman Lindsay and Will Dyson who visited him in New York in 1929 and 1930 respectively. He also printed some of the drypoints of the Australian expatriate Martin Lewis.

Nankivell never returned to Australia but in 1937 a comprehensive collection of 37 of his etchings was shown at Anthony Horderns’ Gallery, Sydney.

Frank Nankivell died in Florham Park, New Jersey, in 1959.

© Roger Butler, 1991.

Published in Australian Printmakers in America 1900 -1950, exhibition catalogue, Canberra:Australian National Gallery, 1991.