Gertrude Cawein at Hammond Castle Museum

Frederic Louis Mortiz Pape (1870-1938), known as Eric Pape, was a Golden Age artist known for his work as a painter, illustrator and educator. 

He studied art with prominent American Impressionist Emil Carlson and at the Academie Julian and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Pape was a versatile artist who incorporated various styles and influences into his work ranging from Realism to Impressionism. In 1898, he founded the Eric Pape School of Art in Boston, MA, which soon became the largest of its kind in the United States with over 200 students enrolled per season.

Highly prolific in fine arts, Pape also achieved wide success as an illustrator for prominent magazines. His drawings and paintings graced the pages of Scribner’s Magazine, Cosmopolitan, The Century Magazine, McClure´s and others. He was also sought after for his work on numerous deluxe edition books, including the five volume “The Poems of Madison Cawein” (1907), Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw” (1898) and H.G. Wells “War In The Air” (1910).

 A member of the United Arts Club of London and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Pape’s contributions earned him wide recognition, including membership in “The Players,” an exclusive private club for those working in the theater and the arts, at the recommendation of his friend, Players founding member Mark Twain.

His works are widely held in museum collections today, including the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, the U.S. Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland, the National Portrait Gallery in London, and a dozen other institutions.