Louis William Bonsib, Indiana (1892 - 1979), untitled

Louis William Bonsib Indiana (1892 - 1979) untitled homestead and landscape oil on canvas board signed lower right. In original carved and gilt frame. The following information was submitted in August of 2006 by Gerald Skoll, and is based on a telephone interview on May 9, 2006 with John Bonsib, last surviving son of Louis William Bonsib. Relative to the painting Inlet at Gaspe Peninsula, John Bonsib believes, but he was not present the specific summer it was created, that it was painted in the late 1930's or early 1940's. His father and mother first began going to the Gaspe region in the 1920's. Louis desired that water be a major element in his paintings. John indicates that his father viewed his seminal work in this direction wasa painting of rough conditions of the North Atlantic on the Maine coast created about 1920. Louis felt that with that painting his treatment of water begin a steady improvement. The Inlet at Gaspe Peninsula was one of Louis Bonsib's favorites. Incidentally, he enjoyed fishing, but after discovering how easily he could land a fish at the Gaspe, he seldom fished thereafter, except to teach the youngsters. Louis Bonsib was essentially self-taught. The only "instruction" was provided by an aunt in 1918, whose approach was to render "...every leaf on every tree". Her tutelage was short-lived as it was in conflict with Louis's view of how to paint. The family lived in Indianapolis, where Louis was quite athletic, excelling in football and wrestling. He graduated from Indiana University in 1918. He was about to accept his first job with a firm in Wisconsin, when the Indianapolis Engraving Company made him an offer that resulted in 7 years with the firm. In about 1925 he opened his own advertising agency, building the business until he turned it over to John upon his return from the Army Air Corps in the late 1940's. Thereafter, Louis Bonsib was able to devote full time to painting. John is of the opinion that his father's work was truly of the "depression era" and the stylistic elements incorporated in his paintings of the 1930's continued throughout the rest of his career. Louis was a man of high energy; working in the early morning, late afternoons or other opportune short sessions to rapidly create a virtually finished canvas. He was generous with his talent and gifted many of his best works to friends and family that remain cherished. John says that his dad hated to pay the high prices for frames, and thus made many of his own that are still on paintings held by the family. Similarly, if he was dissatisfied with a watercolor he simply used the reverse for another creation. He also liked to write poetry and Inlet at Gaspe Peninsula has one of Louis's poems attached. 15"H x 19"W (image), 24"H x 20"W (frame)