Relatively little is known about Chicago modernist painter, Franklin Van Court. He was born in Chicago and studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC); at the National Academy of Design in New York; and with Charles W. Hawthorn, Frederick M. Grant, Robert Henri, and Anthony Angarola. He was a member of the Chicago Society of Artists and exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago’s annual exhibitions of American art, Chicago artists, and watercolor shows in 1931, 1932, 1934, 1935, and 1936. The watercolor drawing in the Friedman collection, Untitled (Abstract head), is unusual for his work, which typically depicted landscapes or genre scenes in Chicago.

Reference

Falk, Peter H. Who Was Who in American Art. Madison, CT: Sound View Press, 1999.