Thomas Sergeant La Farge (1904–1942) was an American artist known for his WPA mural paintings for the United States Post Office in New London, Connecticut.

Biography

La Farge was born in Paris, France in 1904. He was the son of the artist Bancel La Farge and Mabel Hooper La Farge. His grandfather was the artist John La Farge. In 1933 La Farge was commissioned by the Public Works of Art Project to create a six panel series of murals for the lobby of the New London Main Post Office. The murals depicted ships, sailors and whaling. The completed murals were installed in 1938 by the Treasury Relief Art Project La Farge died at sea in 1942 while serving in the United States Coast Guard. The ship he was commanding, USCGC Natsek, sank during a storm off the Canadian coast. The Smithsonian lists La Farge's death year as 1943, and the National Gallery lists the death year as 1940. The Frick Art Reference Library lists his death year as 1942. The Natsek sunk in December 1942 and was declared officially lost in 1944 and that the entire crew died "in the line of duty on or after 17 December 1942". La Farge's work is in the collection of the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...

and the

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds o ...

. HIs work was included in the 2012 exhibition "America @ Work: New Deal Murals in New London and Beyond" at the

Lyman Allyn Art Museum The Lyman Allyn Art Museum is located in New London, Connecticut and was founded in 1926 by Lyman Allyn's daughter Harriet Upson Allyn.

References

External links

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Six murals created for the New London Post Office in New London, CT
{{DEFAULTSORT:La Farge, Thomas 1904 births 1942 deaths American artists Federal Art Project artists United States Coast Guard personnel killed in World War II