Jonas Lie
1880–1940 · Norwegian-born American Expressionist painter and teacher
Jonas Lie (Moss, Norway, 1880 – 1940) was a Norwegian-born American painter and teacher, best known for his Expressionist views of the New England coast and New York City. His importance lies in pairing an intense use of colour with maritime and urban subjects of his era.
After his father died in 1892, he was sent to Paris to live with his aunt and uncle, the writer Jonas Lie, whose home attracted artists such as Ibsen and Grieg. He later joined his mother and sisters in the United States and, from 1897 to 1906, trained at the Art Students League of New York. His work was shown in many solo and group exhibitions, and in 1913 he travelled to Panama to paint the construction of the canal; his thirty resulting canvases, twelve of which are now at West Point, brought him wide acclaim. He often painted harbours, coves and ships with dramatic perspective and strong colour. He was active in the National Academy of Design, serving as its president from 1934 to 1939.
Among his students was the painter John Fulton Folinsbee. His legacy rests on his records of the American Atlantic coast and on his role as a teacher and institutional leader.
Works (1)
Morning on the River is an oil painting by the Norwegian-American painter Jonas Lie, dated from 1911 to 1912. It shows a winter morning in New York, with the Brooklyn Bridge as its central motif, seen from below so that its massive Gothic structure looms over the viewer, almost like an industrial monster rather than an elegant feat of engineering. Short, textured strokes in cold blues and grays convey the bustle of the city and create depth, while the round clouds contrast with the rigid lines of buildings and bridge.