Old Missoula

U. of M. Professor Frederick D. Schwalm – Illustrations for Alcott’s Book of Fairy Tales

F. D. Schwalm of University Faculty Illustrates Talk on “Illustration.”

To illustrate points made in his address on “Illustration” to journalism students last night, Frederick D. Schwalm, head of the fine arts department of the State University, painted a portrait in oils. Miss Irene Scott, a fine arts student, posed for the portrait. Professor Schwalm’s work occupied 45 minutes.

The artist’s workmanship and the studio atmosphere were not the least effective features of the lecture. The journalism students heard Professor Schwalm in the rooms of the fine arts department. The walls were hung with charcoal drawings and oils, the work of the fine arts faculty and a number of eastern illustrators.

Professor Schwalm appeared before his audience in artist’s smock with his palette of colors. Miss Scott sat on a low platform under a powerful electric light. The artist explained as he worked that Frank Leyendecker, the famous American magazine illustrator, works entirely in artificial light. First the artist blocked in his work in charcoal. With rapid strokes he applied oil to canvas and in a comparatively short time completed the work.

Later, Professor Schwalm displayed pencil, ink and color sketches, the originals of work completed in the east for magazines and book companies. Some of his sketches made for Louise Alcott’s book of fairy stories were on exhibit.

“America is producing the greatest newspaper, book and magazine illustrators,” Professor Schwalm said in his lecture. “It is a well-known fact that foreign artists take our monthly magazines, when they cannot read a word of English, solely for the sake of the illustrations.”

He instanced the work of Maxfield Parrish, Kellar and the Leyendeckers. European artists have the highest praise for their drawings and paintings.

“Composition,” Professor Schwalm continued, “means with us the result of the expression of our feelings, ideas and convictions and putting together of those elements which will best express the motive. When we make a portrait or cover design of the aged, we clothe our subject in graver colors and simple design. When expressing youth we think of the garb of gaiety. Age and personality must be considered in illustration as well as in mural decoration.”

One small painting for an advertisement brought Harrison Fisher $500, he said. The purchaser asked Fisher to wrap the painting for him after expressing satisfaction with the work. Fisher added $10 to the original price for tying up the canvas.

 

The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on January 16, 1917.

 

Schwalm took a leave of absence from U of M in 1921. He died in Los Angeles in 1925 at the age of 37.

 

Obituary for F. D. Schwalm – Montana Kaimin – 3/13/1925

Funeral services for Frederick D. Schwalm, head of the department of Fine Arts at the University, were held Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 at the Marsh chapel. Interment was made in the Missoula cemetery. The pallbearers, all associates of his while at the University, were President C. H. Clapp, Dean A. L. Stone, and Professors F. L. Freeman, F. C. Scheuch, E. R. A. Carey and M. J. Elrod.

News of the death of Mr. Schwalm, which occurred in Los Angeles March 4, came as a distinct shock to the University and his many friends in Missoula.

Mr. Schwalm came to Montana in 1912 for his health and settled on a homestead on the Flathead reservation. In 1916, Mr. Schwalm took charge of the Art Department here, having improved in health considerably. He remained here until 1922, when failing health necessitated his getting to a dryer climate. Mr. Schwalm first went to Arizona and then to Southern California, where he remained until his death.

Frederick D. Schwalm was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 5, 1888. He attended the Chicago schools and Northwestern university and later entered the Chicago Art academy where he received his technical training. After being graduated from the Art academy, Mr. Schwalm remained for some time in Chicago doing commercial fashion illustrations.

In 1912, Mr. Schwalm came to Montana where he located near Polson on a homestead. While there he did a great deal of magazine cover work.

In 1916, Mr. Schwalm took active charge of the Montana Art department. Until this time the Art department had confined its activities strictly to fine art. The department was not very heavily endowed and had only a few students. At the time Mr. Schwalm took charge, Chancellor Elliott had been seriously considering ending the department. Mr. Schwalm set up a very urgent plea that the department continue and Mr. Elliott finally consented to let him try it for a year. From that date the department kept gaining in prominence on the campus. At the end of one year Mr. Elliott was so well pleased that he allowed the department to continue and congratulated Mr. Schwalm very highly upon his excellent work.

Mr. Schwalm introduced commercial work here for the first time in 1916. It rapidly gained popularity and at the present time it holds a prominent place in the curriculum of the department. Through Mr. Schwalm’s efforts the Art league was started. It has been a prominent school club since its founding.

When Delta Phi Delta, national art fraternity, was established at Montana, Mr. Schwalm was very active in the work and was a charter member of the Montana chapter.

Among other achievements of Mr. Schwalm while here was to succeed in getting the American Association of Artists annual art exhibit to come here. These pictures are the finest in the country and the city of Missoula as well as the University is indebted to Mr. Schwalm for bringing these famous exhibits here.

One of Mr. Schwalm’s finest pieces of work is the portrait of Professor F. C. Scheuch which hung in the old library building with the group of portraits of University presidents and prominent faculty members. The graduating class of 1916 desiring to leave some memoir to the University felt that a portrait of a well loved professor painted by an equally well loved contemporary would be a most fitting tribute to their Alma Mater. They selected a portrait of Professor Scheuch painted by Mr. Schwalm. The painting is an excellent piece of work and compares very favorably with other portraits in the group by other prominent artists. In commenting upon Mr. Schwalm, Mr. Scheuch, a close personal friend, said, “He took a tremendous lot of enjoyment in his work and did a great deal for the University of Montana. Students were very, very loyal to him and he was loved by everyone who knew him.”

In 1922, after his health had become so bad that he could scarcely climb the stairs leading to his department, Mr. Schwalm took a leave of absence and left for the south in hope of regaining his health. His story from that time on is not unlike that of other tubercular patients. He lost steadily in physical strength, but never once lost his courage and hope to return to his loved Montana to carry on in the work which he had so boldly begun.

http://www.askart.com/artist/Frederick_Daniel_Schwalm/11166424/Frederick_Daniel_Schwalm.aspx