Frank V. Dudley

Who was Frank V. Dudley?

Frank V. Dudley was an American landscape painter, known especially for his paintings of scenes in the Indiana Dunes.

Dudley was born in Delavan, Wisconsin, but he spent most of his life in the Chicago area. His studio was located in what is now the Indiana Dunes State Park. Not only did he frequently paint the dunes, he was a significant figure in dunes conservation, helping to successfully advocate for the formation of a park to preserve the Indiana lake shore. He won the Logan Medal of the arts

Born of deaf parents on November 14, 1868, he was the eldest of three brothers. In 1887, he left Delavan, Wisconsin to study art in Chicago. He married Haley Boxwell, and a son, Paul was born several years later. To support his family, he took commissions to color portrait photographs in crayon and watercolor. His first exhibition was in 1902 at the Art Institute of Chicago. Haley died suddenly in 1904. After her death, Dudley concentrated on landscape painting. In 1905, he was awarded the Art Institute’s Young Fortnightly Prize. His brother Clarence also exhibited a series of fine art photographs 1905. These photographs also highlighted the dunes.