“For the sea Mr. Thorsen portrays is no sea of moonlit waves romantically whispering in the silent, velvet night, nor one of smiling, dimpled waves playing happily in the light of the morning sun … No, it is the work of a man who has lived with the sea, fought it and feared it … who has seen it black with unreasoning wrath hurling itself viciously over the ships it loves in its saner moments. And as such he has painted it, mighty, inscrutable, passionate and treacherous, yet lovable” (1).

Lars Thorsen, a Norse marine painter, settled in Noank, Connecticut in 1905. As a self-taught artist who began to paint at sea, he used watercolor, oil, monotypes, and etching to effectively depict his experiences as a sailor. His artwork is lauded for its detailing, vitality, and authenticity. Although he is primarily known for his association with the Mystic Art Association and the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, Thorsen also exhibited in Boston, New York, and Chicago.

1. H. Viggo Andersen, “Sea’s Spirit is Captured by Thorsen” in The Hartford Courant, 17 March 1927, 23.