The boisterous group of artists migrated from their monastery lodgings in Munich and took residence in Florence to study for two years under Frank Duveneck. Oliver Dennett Grover (ODG) was the youngest of the cohort and impressionable. Duveneck was not only a talented draftsman and painter, but a gifted teacher, whose talent and personal warmth created disciples more so than students. Evidence of the extent he cherished his mentor, ODG wrote an often cited biography on Duveneck and consulted museums considering acquiring the works of his late mentor.

The two years of training under Duveneck in Florence would equip ODG with the skills to win commissions and beautify Chicago’s institutions.