Gerrit V. Sinclair (1890-1955)

In his day, Gerrit V. Sinclair was one of Wisconsin’s most significant artists. His influence was felt as an artist, and also as a teacher, having taught numerous artists who went on to become influential in their own right---Joseph Friebert, Karl Priebe, Edmund Lewandowski, Alfred Sessler, Gerhard Bakker, and others. Sinclair was a member of Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors and exhibited with that group many times from the 1920‘s into the 1950’s. He also exhibited at the Wisconsin Salon of Art in Madison, Wisconsin from the 1930’s into the 1950’s, and at the Milwaukee Journal Gallery of Art, which operated from 1924-1931. He won many prizes. He also exhibited at national institutions and many private galleries, locally and around the country, including New York City. I haven’t been able to confirm that Sinclair was a member of the Milwaukee Printmakers (founded 1935), but he was an active printmaker at the time of their founding. He participated in the three artist calendars that they produced in 1936-1938. The 1934 government report on the WPA (Works Progress Administration) lists Sinclair as a participant, but one had to be unemployed to be in the program, so he must not have been teaching in that year. Also, Sinclair created a WPA mural in Wausau, Wisconsin in 1940. I doubt he was in the WPA every year from 1934-40. The WPA artists weren’t paid all that much, and Sinclair had a wife and two children. I don’t know if there is anyone around who can clarify this one way or the other. We’ll see.

Today Sinclair is recognized primarily as a painter, but in this blog I will be highlighting his prints. In both paintings and prints, Sinclair rarely created art that didn’t include human activity. He must have truly loved people. He depicted scenes of everyday life of the average person.  

Sinclair was born in Michigan but grew up in Chicago. He attended the School at the Art Institute of Chicago. Sinclair served in the army in World War 1. After the war, he taught briefly in Minneapolis and then Milwaukee. The Layton School of Art (Milwaukee) was founded in 1920, and Sinclair was on the faculty that first year.  He taught there until 1954.

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair   "Jefferson Street"  (Milwaukee)   linocut, 6.25"h x 8.25"w, signed, 1937. This print appeared in the 1939 Wisconsin Artist Calendar.

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair linocut, 5"h x 6"w, untitled, signed in the plate, no date

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  "Cambridge Ave Boat House" (Milwaukee) linocut, 6.5"h x 8.25"w, signed 1937

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  "And Two Cars"  linocut, 6.25"h x 8.25"w, signed, 1935

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair untitled (North Avenue Market) (Milwaukee)  linocut, 5.25"h x 6"w,

signed in the plate.  This print was in the 1938 Wisconsin Artist Calendar,

with the title "North Avenue Market."

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  "Ox Bow"  lithograph, 8.5"h x 12"w, signed, no date

Ox Bow is an art school in Saugatuck, Michigan. This print is annotated "To Fritzi Brod (Chicago artist) ---for helping me with my first lithograph"

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  "Bar"  linocut, 8"h x 5"w, signed, 1937

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  untitled (village square, maybe Saugatuck) lithograph, 8.25"h x 10"w,

unsigned, no date

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  untitled (Mike's Drive In)  lithograph, 8"h x 11.75"w, unsigned, no date

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  untitled (baseball)  lithograph, 8.25"h x 9.75"w, unsigned, no date

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  untitled (three men and a dog)  lithograph, 8"h x 9.5"w, unsigned, no date

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  untitled (couple on bicycle) lithograph, 9.5"h x 8.25"w, unsigned, no date

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  untitled (Juneau Ave Bridge, Milwaukee)  linocut, 4"h x 5"w, unsigned, no date

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  untitled (people on bridge) linocut, 4"h x 5"w, unsigned, no date

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  untitled (Provincetown)  etching, 3.75"h x 4.75"w, signed in the plate, no date

 

 

Gerrit V. Sinclair  untitled (Provincetown) etching, 3"h x 3.75"w, signed, 1922

Sinclair made a number of etchings while in Provincetown, Massachusetts.