M PAINTER, TEACHER, MASON—
William Forsyth of Indianapolis Some of our Masonic Brothers are quite famous and almost everyone knows their names, such as patriots George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, medical pioneer Dr. Charles Mayo, and astronauts Gus Grissom and John Glenn. Of course, the vast majority of Masons are men who go to work, support their families, and strive to improve their communities in the spirit of Masonic service. They are not famous, but they are the kind of people who make our world a better place.
One such Mason was the painter and teacher William Forsyth. He was an Indiana Freemason and member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Indianapolis. As a painter, he is best remembered for his portrait work and impressionistic landscapes. He was also a determined and beloved teacher, ambassador for fine arts, civic leader, and completely devoted family man. He was generous in donating both his time and his artistic talents to make his community a more vibrant and attractive place. Forsyth’s membership card at the Indianapolis Scottish Rite shows he was born in California in 1854. This is accurate but a little misleading. California in this case refers to a small town near Cincinnati which has since disappeared from the map, having been annexed into the city years ago. When he was 10 years old, the Forsyth family moved to Versailles, Indiana. The boy showed an aptitude for art, sketching scenes around his home. But the family was not wealthy, and it wasn’t possible for him to study art. He did not take formal instruction until he was 23 years old, studying in the short-lived Indiana School of Art in Indianapolis. This was enough for him to develop competence in basic skills and demonstrate his considerable talent; with so little actual training, it is remarkable that he was awarded admission to the Royal Academy of the Arts in Munich, Germany. While in Europe, he traveled in Germany and France. Mostly he painted landscapes with the newly developed method of working
Self-portrait by William Forsyth
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The Northern Light
