A prominent artist and educator in the early 20th century, Frank von der Lancken was an early proponent of the Arts and Crafts movement in America. He studied at the progressive Pratt Institute, and the school’s focus on practical techniques would become a hallmark of his later teaching style. He was proficient in a wide range of mediums, from oil paint and watercolor to pencil and charcoal, and likewise worked with a variety of subjects, including polished, naturalistic portraits, still lifes, and landscapes, illustration, and—especially after World War I—impressionistic landscapes. In his work, as in his teaching, he placed consistent value on traditional techniques.