Alexander Grinager
Encyclopedia
Alexander Grinager was an American artist most noted for his murals and scenic painting
.
, the son of Mons and Anna Egge Grinager. His parents had immigrated from the district of Hadeland
, Norway
. His father was from South Grinager in Tingelstad Parish
, his mother from Brandbu
, both in Gran
municipality in Oppland
. Grinager studied in Philadelphia, PA, before going abroad in 1887. From 1887-1891, Grinager was a pupil at the Royal Academy
in Copenhagen, Denmark where he studied with Carl Bloch. He also studied in Paris
at the Académie Julian
and while in France was particularly influenced by the works of Manet
and Monet.
, remaining there for the remainder of his life. He made his living principally as an easel painter, stage designer, and muralist. In New York he designed and carried out the scenic effects for many productions by Impresario
David Belasco
. His mural paintings included The Streets of Baghdad which covered one floor of the Grand Central Station. His paintings were frequently exhibited at the Salmagundi Club
in New York City between 1908 and 1946.
In 1916, he also painted a mural entitled Panorama of the History of the U.S. Navy for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. Grinager participated in exhibits of the Minneapolis Art League and the Artists League of Minneapolis between 1887 and 1915. He exhibited at the Minnesota Industrial Exposition in 1891 and in 1893. In 1910, his paintings were exhibited at the Odin Club in Minneapolis, MN, and at the St. Paul Auditorium. In 1932, he painted murals for the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago, IL.
Scenic painting
Theatrical scenic painting includes wide-ranging disciplines, encompassing virtually the entire scope of painting and craft techniques. An experienced scenic painter will have skills in landscape painting, figurative painting, trompe l'oeil, and faux finishing, be versatile in different media such...
.
Background
Alexander Grinager was born in Albert Lea, MinnesotaAlbert Lea, Minnesota
Albert Lea is a city in and the county seat of Freeborn County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 18,016 at the 2010 census....
, the son of Mons and Anna Egge Grinager. His parents had immigrated from the district of Hadeland
Hadeland
Hadeland is a traditional district in the south-eastern part of Norway. It is located around the southern part of lake Randsfjorden in Oppland county, and consists of the municipalities of Gran, Jevnaker and Lunner. Hadeland occupies the area north of the hills of Nordmarka close to the Norwegian...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. His father was from South Grinager in Tingelstad Parish
Tingelstad old church
Tingelstad Old Church , is a Romanesque stone church in Gran, Norway. Dendrochronological dating shows that parts of the timber within the church was felled between 1219-1220.The original name for this church was "St...
, his mother from Brandbu
Brandbu
Brandbu is a village in the municipality of Gran in Oppland county, Norway.Brandbu is located in the traditional district of Hadeland. It was earlier known as "Augedalsbro" . Locals still commonly refer to the village as "Brua" . Brandbu was a parish in earlier times and later a municipality of...
, both in Gran
Gran, Norway
is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hadeland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Jaren. There is also a village of Gran located within the municipality....
municipality in Oppland
Oppland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
. Grinager studied in Philadelphia, PA, before going abroad in 1887. From 1887-1891, Grinager was a pupil at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
in Copenhagen, Denmark where he studied with Carl Bloch. He also studied in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
at the Académie Julian
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. The Académie Julian not only prepared students to the exams at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, but offered...
and while in France was particularly influenced by the works of Manet
Manet
-MANET as an abbreviation:*MANET is a mobile ad hoc network, a self-configuring mobile wireless network.*MANET database or Molecular Ancestry Network, bioinformatics database-People with the surname Manet:*Édouard Manet, a 19th-century French painter....
and Monet.
Career
In 1896, he moved to Westchester County, New YorkWestchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
, remaining there for the remainder of his life. He made his living principally as an easel painter, stage designer, and muralist. In New York he designed and carried out the scenic effects for many productions by Impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
David Belasco
David Belasco
David Belasco was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director and playwright.-Biography:Born in San Francisco, California, where his Sephardic Jewish parents had moved from London, England, during the Gold Rush, he began working in a San Francisco theatre doing a variety of routine jobs,...
. His mural paintings included The Streets of Baghdad which covered one floor of the Grand Central Station. His paintings were frequently exhibited at the Salmagundi Club
Salmagundi Club
The Salmagundi Club, also known as the Salmagundi Art Club, was founded in 1871 in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, in the United States. It currently is located at 47 Fifth Avenue...
in New York City between 1908 and 1946.
In 1916, he also painted a mural entitled Panorama of the History of the U.S. Navy for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. Grinager participated in exhibits of the Minneapolis Art League and the Artists League of Minneapolis between 1887 and 1915. He exhibited at the Minnesota Industrial Exposition in 1891 and in 1893. In 1910, his paintings were exhibited at the Odin Club in Minneapolis, MN, and at the St. Paul Auditorium. In 1932, he painted murals for the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago, IL.
Other sources
- Conforti, Michael Minnesota 1900: art and life on the upper Mississippi, 1890-1915 (University of Delaware Press. 1994)
- Gerdts, William H. Art Across America: Two Centuries of Regional Painting, 1710-1920 (New York, NY: Abbeville Press. 1990)
- Hansen, Carl G.O. My Minneapolis (Minneapolis, MN: Standard Press, 1956)
- Haugan, Reidar Rye Prominent Artists and Exhibits of Their Work in Chicago (Chicago Norske Klub. Nordmanns-Forbundet, 24: 371—374, Volume 7, 1933)
- Nelson, Marion Revelations of Light ( Norwegian-American Museum Newsletter. Vol. 24. Summer 1989)