Frank Townsend Hutchens, American Artist 1869-1937

A Sheep Fold

Painted by Frank Townsend Hutchens
American Artist 1869 to 1937
Painted at the sheep fold of Mon Dusannoir
Pas de Calais, Northern France
Signed F.T. Hutchens

I am in my sixties now, and have treasured this painting all my life. As a child, I remember looking at it closely, at all the indiscernible splashes of paint. And then backing up across the room to see it transform into a picture of a perfect flock of sheep.

The painting was shipped from France to my grandfather in Youngstown, Ohio, we believe around 1916. My mother remembers that my grandfather knew the artist, but we are not sure whether they met in the United States or in Europe. It could have been on one of my grandfather's trips to Europe as an adult, or perhaps even on a trip to Europe when he was attending "finishing school."

However they met and however my grandfather acquired the painting, we assume that the painting was painted and framed in France because the back of the frame is marked Paris, France.

The Note

There is a note on the back of the painting which begins with the title, A Sheep Fold, and ends with the artist's initials, FTH. It appears to have been written by the artist.

The note is not entirely legible, but as best we can tell it reads as follows:

Painted by Frank T. Hutchens in North France at Trep--d Pas de Calais in the sheep fold of Mon Dusannoir whose old farm is one of the most beautiful and historical in that part of France.

The word before Pas de Calais is not entirely legible, and there may be a word missing between that word and Pas de Calais.

In addition, we are not sure of the spelling of Dusannoir. There is a hole in the note where possibly the letters "oi" appear.

Do You Have More Information?

I had this little webpage created in hopes that someone interested in the artist might find it and be able to provide us with more information on exactly where and when the painting might have been painted. I also wanted to make anyone interested in studying the artist and his work aware of our painting.

We may be contacted via e-mail at: ASheepFold@DirtypawWebsites.com

Thank you for your interest.