Francis Bullard, 1862-1913
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: 1862
Identity:
Francis Bullard (1862-1913) was a Boston collector.
Life:
Bullard, a graduate of Harvard University in 1886, became a major American collector of old master and contemporary prints. His collection was renowned for the quality of its individual impressions. Specialising in works by Italian 15th century artists, he organised an exhibition of early Italian intaglio engravings at Fogg Art Museum in 1915. He also owned exceptional prints by Dürer, Holbein, Rembrandt, Canaletto, Nanteuil, Goya, Turner, Meryon and Whistler. His Whistler etchings, largely early ones, included K0240403, K0410109, K0600104, K0740605, K0740818 and K0750133, as well as three Venice etchings, K1830112, K2030203 and K2040302, and K2510105. He gave his watercolours and engravings after Turner to the Fogg Art Museum on indefinite loan, adding to his loan in progressive years. A significant part of his collection passed to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, after his death in 1915. Some went to his cousin Miss Ellen Twistleton Bullard (1865-1959) who made donations to the Boston museum in 1925 and 1936. She also donated etchings and mezzotints from Turner's Liber Studiorum to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and made further donations to the Smithsonian Institution. Some of Francis Bullard's collection also went to his sister Miss Katharine Bullard and his brother Dr William Norton Bullard (1853-1931). William Bullard donated a number of Whistler etchings to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 1923.
Bibliography:
Forbes, Edward W., Report of the Fogg Art Museum, 1908-09, The President and Fellows of Harvard College on behalf of the Harvard Art Museum, pp. 1-4; Lugt, Frits, Les marques de collections de dessins et d'estampes: marques estampillèes et écrites de collections particulières et publiques; marques de marchands, de monteurs et d'imprimeurs; etc..., Amsterdam, 1921, no. 982.