Four Ships (Three Sterns)

Painting

-

Milwaukee Public Library

Name/Title

Four Ships (Three Sterns)

Type of Painting

Easel

Artwork Details

Medium

Watercolor on Board

Context

Four ships under construction at River Rouge, MI. The larger ship is the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald under construction. October 1, 2025–December 1, 2025: Find Edmund Lewandowski's "Four Ships" on exhibit at the MSOE Grohmann Museum as part of "The Legend Lives On – 50 Years Later," an exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.

Collection

Wisconsin Art Collection, Artwork Collection, Marine Collection

Acquisition

Accession

1967.1

Source or Donor

Edmund Fitzgerald, Wisconsin Marine Historical Society

Acquisition Method

Gift

Made/Created

Artist

Edmund D Lewandowski

Notes

If this does picture the Edmund Fitzgerald under construction, maybe ca. 1957 if Lewandowski painted it while the ship was being constructed.

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Signature

Location

Lower right

Transcription

"E.D. Lewandowski"

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Framed Size

Height

27 in

Width

32 in

Dimension Description

Image Size

Height

17-1/2 in

Width

23-1/2 in

Exhibitions

Notes

"The Legend Lives On – 50 Years Later," Grohmann Museum, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee, WI, October-December 2025. "Two Edmunds: Fitzgerald and Lewandowski—Their Mark on Milwaukee," Grohmann Museum, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee, WI, August 2020-January 2021. "Great Lakers," Grohmann Museum, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee, WI, April-August 2012. "The Layton School of Art Legacy Exhibition," University Art Museum, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, September-December 1984. "Great Ships on the Great Lakes," Pabst Mansion, Milwaukee, WI, August-September 1984.