Biography/Artist Information:

Douglas Volk, N.A; was born at Pittsfield, Mass; 1856. He is the son of the sculptor, Leonard W. Volk, and was a pupil of Gerome at Paris; exhibited at the Paris Salon, 1875-8. Instructor at the Cooper Institute, New York, 1879-84 and 1908-12; instructor, Art Students' League, New York, 1893-8; organized Minneapolis School of Fine Arts, 1886-93. Instructor, portrait class, Cooper Union, 1906-12; instructor, National Academy of Design, New York, 1910-17. 

Mr. Volk was awarded medal, Columbian Exposition,Chicago, 1893; Shaw prize, Society of American Artists, 1899; first prize, Colonial Exhibition, Boston, 1899; Silver medal, Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, 1901; Carnegie prize, Society of American Artists, 1903; Silver medal, Universal Exposition, St. Louis, 1904; Gold medal, Carolina Art Association, 1907; Proctor Portrait prize, 1910; and Saltus gold medal, 1911, National Academy of design; Gold medal, San Francisco Exposition, 1915; Gold medal, National Arts Club, 1915; Beck gold medal, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1916; Cross of Officer of the order of Leopold II, 1921. 

Organized handicraft movement at Centre Lovell. Member of the American Federation of Arts, Washington, D.C; Architectural League, New York; National Society of Portrait Painters; International Societe Des Beaux Arts et des Lettres; National Institute of Arts and Letters; Society of Mural Painters. 

In 1919, Douglas Volk was commissioned by the National Art Committee to go abroad and paint from life the portraits of King Albert of the Belgians, Lloyd George of England, and General Pershing. These portraits have been presented by the National Art Committee to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Mr. Volk also painted for the Capitol at Albany a portrait of Governor Smith and ex-Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby, and one of Brand Whitlock. 

He is represented in St. Paul Capitol, St. Paul, Minn.; Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, by a portrait of Felix Adler; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; National Gallery, Washington, D.C.; Pittsfield, Mass, Museum; Capitol, Montclair, N.J., Art Museum; National Arts Club, New York; Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, N. Y.; Muskegon, Mich., Art Museum; Omaha Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska; Portland, Me. Art Society; Brooklyn Museum of Art; War Portraits of King Albert, General Pershing and Lloyd George in National Gallery, Washington, 1921; The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy. Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo, by a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, 1922; and in many notable private collections.