Frank J. Reilly

A Sad Story

Frank J. Reilly was noted as "the No. 1 art teacher in America." Reilly is known for developing a means of organizing the palette. His value studies and chroma organization are still taught as the primary methods of oil paint organization. Reilly studied with Frank DuMond at the Art Students League of New York. He taught at the Grand Central School of Art, The Art Students League of New York and other art schools as well as establishing his own art school. Reilly was the main influence on George Passantino. He is credited with the mosaic mural in The Bronx High School of Science's front lobby. Reilly's influence continues today through the teaching and art of Michael Aviano and Jack Faragasso as well as their students Jon deMartin and Graydon Parrish. The Legacy of Frank J. Reilly by Jack Faragasso, from LINEA Journal of the Art Students League, Summer 2006, stated that one of the most maligned and misunderstood artist instructors of the Art Students League was the late Frank J. Reilly. Mr. Reilly was a feisty Irish-American endowed with great energy and charisma. He inspired fanatic devotion and loyalty from his students. His classes were always jam-packed morning, afternoon and night. On his off days he would drive to the League's studios in Woodstock, New York to teach landscape and outdoor figure painting. Somehow he found time to do illustrations, write articles on art, conceive and work on murals and do an occasional fine art easel painting. Married but childless, Mr. Reilly regarded his pupils as his family and sought to relate to them as such. He sought to give them the best training possible, and in order to introduce them to the art world, arranged contests with national magazines, paperback publishers, and even Portraits, Inc.