Whitaker, Frederic

Frederic Whitaker (1891-1980) was an award-winning American artist and writer on painting and art. Whitaker began his artistic career as a metalsmith, working for Gorham Manufacturing Company and Tiffany & Co. and later founding two companies of his own. However, it was as a watercolorist that he became most famous and when he retired in 1949 he devoted himself full-time to painting. He was also active in the promotion of the arts, particularly painting; he was a member of the National Academy of Design, a Fellow of Britain's Royal Society of Arts, served seven years as president of the American Watercolor Society, and founded Audubon Artists. He received numerous awards and recognitions for his work, and was the author of two books and numerous articles and essays on painting, art, and political topics of the day.

Whitaker's wife Eileen Monaghan (1911-2005) was also a painter of watercolors; though less widely known than her husband, she was an important artist in her own right. The couple married in 1943 and often exhibited their work in joint shows. Eileen was a member of the American Watercolor Society, the recipient of many awards, and in 1978 she became only the second woman to be elected to the National Academy of Design's watercolor division.

From the guide to the Frederic Whitaker Papers, 1928-2005, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)