oil on panel, signed
framed

Note: artist, teacher, lecturer, known for marine/seascape, genre, landscape, and portrait paintings, especially of the Brittany region of France. Penfold came from a family of artists, the son of the portrait painter, William Penfold (English born-American, 1827-1875), who was active in Lockport and Buffalo, New York and his mother, Maria Chubbuck (née Chapman) Penfold (1828-1919) married September 19, 1847, was also an accomplished artist. He had six younger siblings to include, brothers, John Penfold (1850- ), William Chapman Penfold (1853-1928) who became a fresco artist in Erie, PA, Charles Chubbuck Penfold (1854-1911) who designed engraved and manufactured fine jewelry in Buffalo, NY, beginning in 1872, and sisters Ida Parmelia Penfold-Thayer (1854-1934), Lillian "Lillie" Penfold-Baker (1857-1915) and Marie Dollie Penfold (1867-1927). Frank’s father originally wanted him to become an engraver, but one day at school Frank drew a sketch of the old schoolhouse in Lockport, NY in the back of an atlas. The principal at the time, Mr. Porter was charmed with the sketch and asked Frank to paint it on canvas. Frank and his younger brother used to clean up their father’s studio every evening, washing brushes and palettes, and unknown to his father, saved enough paint from his father’s palette to finish the piece. Mr. Porter was pleased with the painting and had it framed and exhibited. From that time forward Frank trained with his father in portraiture and other painting styles. One of his earliest known portraits was of "Addison Roberts" of Hornell, NY, husband of Marie (née Helmer) Roberts, painted in 1873. It was was also noted on the back of the painting that Penfold was listed as an artist in Buffalo and Paris. Frank had moderate success while living in Buffalo but decided to further his studies abroad. Around 1877, he travelled to France and later settled in Pont Aven, Brittany where he also taught in the artists’ colony. He studied in Finistère, Brittany, France and also trained at the Académie Julian in Paris in 1884. He occasionally returned to Buffalo, NY and in 1891, taught a class at the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, Albright Art Gallery. On November 22, 1897, Frank married Jeannie "Jennie" Gerard (née Green-Wells [Wells adopted last name]) Redfern-Corbett-Penfold (1849-1921) at her home in Johnson Park, Buffalo, NY with whom he had an adopted daughter (from Jeannie's brother, Charles Edward Green, whom she and Frank later legally adopted on June 3, 1912), named Jane "Jennie" May Green Penfold-Harkness-Pinnington (1892-1970). Frank Penfold remained an influential figure in the Buffalo art scene and also helped organize the Municipal Art League in Chicago, IL in 1901. He was a member of the Buffalo Society of Artists and served as President in 1896, Buffalo, NY. He alternated between two homes, one in Pont Aven, France where he maintained a studio in Concarneau, Finistère, Bretagne, France and another at 32 Johnson Park, Buffalo, NY.