Martin Linsey Watercolor Painting of Venice, 1974

Item Details

Martin Louis Linsey (Cleveland, Ohio, 1915 – 2010)
Untitled, 1974
Watercolor painting on paper
Signed and dated to the lower right

Ohio artist Martin Louis Linsey is a self-proclaimed painter of “visual sensations.” He had spent his young adult life traveling and painting various tourist cities but didn’t learn about the affection and affinity one can feel for their hometown until his nearly 4 years of service in the United States Army. Unlike his previous short trips, army life introduced him to long stays in cities such as Naples, Grenoble, and Epinal. Linsey spent his free time painting street scenes and local attractions in each city, often painting the same area multiple times. The extended stays allowed him to feel the local affinity of the cities, bringing more care and attention to each composition. With time, Linsey felt a desire to return to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio to depict the street scenes with the attention only a native may be able to express. A prior painter and illustrator, Linsey learned the process of lithography during his service time in France. By 1946, Linsey was back in Cleveland, painting the street scenes he had dreamt of during his time abroad. Although Cleveland does not have the same international recognition as the places he visited during his service, Linsey was drawn the most to depicting excitement in scenes of the mundane.

• Item not examined outside of mounting

Condition

- wear, scratches, chipping, and accretions to frame; toning and foxing to mat and paper; dust, debris, and accretions.

Dimensions

Item #

ITMGF74659