Artist's sketchbook
Elizabeth Lyman Boott
(American, 1846–1888)
Frank Duveneck
(American, 1848–1919)
Medium/TechniqueCloth-bound sketchbook with watercolor, ink, and graphite drawings
DimensionsClosed: 14 × 22 × 2 cm (5 1/2 × 8 11/16 × 13/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of David Duveneck in honor of Frank and Josephine Duveneck
Accession number2021.440
On View
Not on viewClassificationsSketchbooks
Collections
Elizabeth Otis Lyman Boott Duveneck or "Lizzie" studied with William Morris Hunt in Boston, where she was born and raised, before moving to Europe. In Paris, she learned from Thomas Couture, who ran a relatively progressive studio, where women and artistic rebels like Edouard Manet found a home outside of the rigid Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Boott moved to Munich to study with the leading American painter Frank Duveneck, whom she later followed to Florence and married. They had one son before her death in 1888. This sketchbook belonged to Lizzie Boott’s descendants, as did 23 others now in the MFA collections. Although the sketches appears to be by Boott, for the most part, it appears that a few of the drawings may have been executed or redrawn by her husband. Can you see the stylistic differences from one page to another? Do you think all the drawings are by the same artist?
ProvenanceBy descent to the artist’s son, Frank Boott Duveneck (b. 1886 – d. 1985), Los Altos, CA; by descent to his daughter, Elizabeth (Duveneck) Dana (b. 1915 - d. 2009), Palo Alto, CA; by descent to her children, Josephine (Dana) Whiteford, Tucson, AZ and Ned Dana, Kauai, HI; 2010, from Josephine Whiteford and Ned Dana to their cousin, David Duveneck, Monterey, CA [see note]; 2021, gift of David Duveneck to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 16, 2021)
NOTE:
David Duvenenck is the artist's great-great-grandson. He is the son of Francis Duveneck (b. 1916 – d. 2009), Monterey, CA. Francis was the brother of Elizabeth (Duveneck) Dana, Hope (Duveneck) Williams (b. 1918 – d. 2017), and Bernard Duveneck (b. 1922 – d. 2007). The four siblings were the children of Frank Boott Duvenenck (b. 1886 – d. 1985) and Josephine (Whitney) Duveneck (b. 1891 – d. 1978) and the grandchildren of Frank Duveneck (b. 1848 – d. 1919) and Elizabeth Lyman Boott (b. 1846 – d. 1888).
NOTE:
David Duvenenck is the artist's great-great-grandson. He is the son of Francis Duveneck (b. 1916 – d. 2009), Monterey, CA. Francis was the brother of Elizabeth (Duveneck) Dana, Hope (Duveneck) Williams (b. 1918 – d. 2017), and Bernard Duveneck (b. 1922 – d. 2007). The four siblings were the children of Frank Boott Duvenenck (b. 1886 – d. 1985) and Josephine (Whitney) Duveneck (b. 1891 – d. 1978) and the grandchildren of Frank Duveneck (b. 1848 – d. 1919) and Elizabeth Lyman Boott (b. 1846 – d. 1888).