Ivan Gregorewitch Olinsky (1 January 1878 – 11 February 1962) was a Russian-born American painter and art instructor.

Biography

Olinsky was born in Yelisavetgrad , Russian Empire (now

Kirovohrad Kropyvnytskyi (, ) is a city in central Ukraine, situated on the Inhul River. It serves as the administrative center of Kirovohrad Oblast. Population: Over its history, Kropyvnytskyi has changed its name several times. The settlement was k ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

). After immigrating to the United States at the age of twelve, he studied at the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Frederick Styles Agate, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, an ...

, then worked for the American muralist

George Willoughby Maynard George Willoughby Maynard (March 5, 1843 – April 5, 1923) was an American painter, illustrator and muralist. Biography George W. Maynard was born in Washington, D.C. He studied at the National Academy of Design in New York City, and the Roya ...

, then for Elmer Garnsey, then for

John La Farge John La Farge (March 31, 1835 – November 14, 1910) was an American artist whose career spanned illustration, murals, interior design, painting, and popular books on his Asian travels and other art-related topics. La Farge made stained glass ...

in Boston until about 1906. Olinsky became best known for his female portraits in a style that tended towards Impressionism. He was awarded full membership in the National Academy of Design in 1919, and served as an longtime instructor at the

Art Students League of New York The Art Students League of New York is an art school in the American Fine Arts Society in Manhattan, New York City. The Arts Students League is known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may study f ...

Manhattan, New York City Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the smallest county by area in the U.S. state of New York. Located almost entire ...

. By 1942 he was living in

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...

. Olinsky suffered a stroke in December 1961, and he died on 11 February 1962.

Legacy

His second daughter, Tosca Olinsky (1909–1984), was a notable painter in her own right. Both father and daughter are associated with the Old Lyme Art Colony in

Old Lyme, Connecticut Old Lyme is a coastal town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, bounded on the west by the Connecticut River, on the south by the Long Island Sound, on the east by the town of East Lyme, and on the north by the town of Lyme. The town ...

. Olinsky's papers reside at the Smithsonian.

References

External links

''Biographical Notes''
a collection of biographical information and images of 50 American artists, containing information about the artist on page 40.
Two exhibition catalogs
available from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries. {{DEFAULTSORT:Olinsky, Ivan 1878 births 1962 deaths 20th-century American painters American male painters Art Students League of New York faculty National Academy of Design members Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States People from New London, Connecticut Artists from Manhattan 20th-century American male artists