Jacob Alexander Elshin (December 30, 1892[2] – 1976) was an American artist. Born in Saint Petersburg, Russia,[3] he served as an officer in the Imperial Russian Army, and may have been a student at the St. Petersburg Academy. He arrived in Seattle in 1923 where he was described as a "straight pictorialist".[4] His art was commissioned by the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project, where he worked with Mark Tobey, Helmi Juvonen, and others.[5] He also provided services to the U.S. Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture.[6] Elshin socialized with other artists at the Chinese Art Club.[7] He died in Seattle in 1976.[3]

Jacob Elshin, Miners at Work (1938), commissioned by the Section of Painting and Sculpture for the post office in Renton, Washington[1]

References edit

  1. ^ "Renton-Highland Branch Library Mural – Renton WA". The Living New Deal. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  2. ^ Gilbert, Dorothy B., ed. (1959). Who's Who in American Art. New York: R. R. Bowker Company. p. 168.
  3. ^ a b Wall text in "No Longer Forgotten: Uncovering the Stories of WPA Artists in the Northwest", Tacoma Art Museum, 2020
  4. ^ Cumming 1984, p. 159.
  5. ^ Wehr 2000, p. 285.
  6. ^ "Jacob Elshin mural is discovered at West Seattle High School in May 2000". Essay 3441. HistoryLink.org. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  7. ^ Chang et al. 2008, p. 68.
Bibliography