Today we had the pleasure of visiting Frank Sampson’s studio in Boulder. Here are some of our favorite pieces to give you a taste of our upcoming exhibition Frank Sampson Allegory Myths and Magic opening September 28th, 6 – 8 pm.

Frank Sampson studied at the University of Iowa in 1950 where his contemporaries were embracing abstraction. While Sampson was unique in his interest in figural painting during the 1950s and 60s, there are still elements of abstraction and expressionism in his work. 

Sampson cites Bosch and Bruegel as some of his greatest influences which can be seen in his depictions of the human body and arrangement of figures in his landscapes. Sampson is also inspired by mythology and has been inspired by the story of Daphne and Apollo throughout the years. 

In addition to Bosch and Bruegel, we noticed a connection to Courbet in Sampson’s The Country Wedding on his studio wall. Sampson grew up on a farm in North Dakota and was inspired by a daguerreotype and memories of large white houses in the countryside where he lived in this painting.