Nils Gren
1936
"Silent Men"
Lithograph on paper
18.75"x15.25" unframed
Signed in pencil lower right
Excellent Condition - Minor wear consistent with age and history
Please inquire about framing options.
Frames are custom cut and hand-made by Framebridge, who ships them to you ready to hang.
Born in Sweden on April 20, 1893. In 1912 Gren (né Ahgren) sailed for Australia and intended to stay for only a short while. Due to the upheaval of WWI it became necessary for him to remain in Sydney. About 1919 he immigrated to the U.S. and spent his first few years in NYC where he worked as a designer for a pattern manufacturer. By 1925 he had moved to southern California where he studied art with Stanton MacDonald-Wright. He lived in Los Angeles for only a few years before making his final move to San Francisco in the late 1920s. About 1930 he destroyed all of his earlier paintings; any works now extant are those done during the 1930s. During that period he produced lithographs for the WPA project. Gren was active in San Francisco until his death on Aug. 6, 1940. His oils are mostly still lifes, a few landscapes, and scenes of San Francisco. Exh: Painters & Sculptors of LA, 1926; Modern Art Society of LA, 1926; San Francisco Art Association, 1928-29; Paul Elder Gallery (SF), 1932 (solo); Oakland Art Gallery, 1932, 1934; Calif. State Fairs, 1930s; SFMA Inaugural, 1935, 1939 (solo); GGIE, 1939. In: Mission High School, SF (mural); Smithsonian Inst.; Oakland Museum.
Edan Hughes, "Artists in California, 1786-1940"
Interview with the artist or his/her family; Who's Who in American Art 1940.
