F. W. Weber

Frederick William Weber (December 1, 1890 – November 16, 1972) was a chemist, artist, columnist and businessman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An expert on the chemistry and physics of paint materials, Weber served as treasurer, technical director and eventually president of F. Weber & Company, Inc., an artists’ supplies manufacturer founded in 1853. Weber developed new techniques for the manufacture of inks and pigments, and played a major role in the introduction of synthetic resins to the paint-making process.

In addition to his work with art supplies, Weber was an accomplished painter and was active in Philadelphia art circles. He served as art critic and head of the art department for The Philadelphia Record, and Maxfield Parrish, and Weber was sought for artistic advice by painters such as Norman Rockwell, Peter Hurd, and N.C. Wyeth.

Career Upon his return from Europe, Weber was appointed technical director of his F. Weber & Co., and in 1920, shortly after the death of his father, he was elected treasurer. His brother Ernest took over as president of the company. The First World War disrupted international trade and created opportunities for American art supply manufacturers, often considered second-rate compared to European firms, to gain credibility. During the Second World War, Weber visited Philadelphia-area hospitals with other portraitists to sketch wounded soldiers, drawing the men in uniform and omitting their scars and wounds. In 1952, Weber was commissioned to paint a portrait of Temple University president Robert L. Johnson.

Weber's expertise in the field of art materials made him an in-demand lecturer on the topic. He gave talks on the chemistry and physics of art-making at the Art Students’ League and the National Academy of Design in New York City, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, and the Corcoran Art School in Washington, DC. His book on art materials, Artists’ Pigments — Their Chemical and Physical Properties, was called an ‘authoritative text’ by The Philadelphia Record.

Personal life

Weber married twice. He had three children with his second wife, Margaret (née Driscoll).

Weber's aesthetic and technical knowledge of the fine arts brought him into contact with the leading painters of his day, including John Stueart Curry, John H. Geiszel, Walter Emerson Baum, His closest friend was Gerald “Jerry” Aloysius Doyle, Jr., a Philadelphian political cartoonist.

Weber died of a heart attack in his home on November 16, 1972, at the age of 81.