Calvin Fletcher

American
(1882–1963)

The Sentinel
Date unknown

Oil on canvas
31.375 x 43.625 x 2 in.
Museum Permanent Collection
1984.456

Several tropes recur in Calvin’s paintings, including the lone figure—either animal or human—against the landscape. In The Sentinel, this motif takes shape as the animal guardian of home and hearth. The baying dog in this painting echoes similar compositions found in the chest of drawers in this exhibition. In these scenes, Calvin invites viewers into the emotional world of animals as he examines their basic instinct to safeguard. The animal’s alertness and defensiveness may echo Fletcher’s own protective inclinations as a devoted family man.

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This object has the following keywords:

• car
• dog
• garages - Buildings or parts of buildings where motor vehicles are parked or housed, usually temporarily; for buildings that sell gasoline, lubricating oils, and other merchandise for motor vehicles, use "service stations."
• house
• telephone poles - Utility poles used primarily to support telephone lines or cables.
• tree

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

• Meet the Fletchers , 2/21/2026 - 7/25/2026