Francis Lee Jaques (1887-1969)

Hiro Fine Art is interested in purchasing artworks by Francis Lee Jaques.

Francis Lee Jaques was born in Geneseo, Illinois. As a child, Jaques and his father would go hunting for black ducks. He took a strong interest in hunting and animals and opened a taxidermy shop as a young man.

In 1917, Jaques became inspired to become an artist after he saw an art exhibit in San Francisco. His desire was put on hold until he returned from the war. Upon his return, Jaques immediately began learning how to paint and studied under Clarence Rosenkranz and Charles Merritt Chase.

Francis Lee Jaques was hired to be the museum artist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City when he was forty. He painted the background for the various exhibits and soon became well known as a museum artist. He was commissioned to paint backdrops for the Museum of Science in Boston, James Ford Bell Museum, the Peabody Museum at Yale, and at the University of Minnesota.

His wildlife paintings were also gaining recognition as we began working as an illustrator for Field and Stream. In 1940, he painted a black duck which was used for a stamp for Ducks Unlimited.

Jaques was able to travel extensively while working at the American Museum of Natural History and was able to paint several different species in their native habitats. He retired from the museum at the age of fifty-five, but continued to do some freelance work as well as painting for the magazine Outdoor Life.

He and his wife moved to Minnesota in 1953 and he continued to paint. He went on to donate most of his art for charities and educational institutions. He published several books and is considered one of the most well known wild life artists today.