Circa 1900 American Oil Portrait, Boy in Straw Hat, Attributed to Edgar Cowan

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Circa 1900 American Oil Portrait, Boy in Straw Hat, Attributed to Edgar Cowan

Meet the boy in the straw hat. … Read more Circa 1900 American Oil Portrait, Boy in Straw Hat, Attributed to Edgar Cowan

Meet the boy in the straw hat. He came to us as part of a pair — this portrait and a companion portrait of a young woman, pulled together from an estate sale at a grand old family home on Nantucket. His identity remains a mystery, but Edgar Cowan clearly saw something worth painting.

This is an original oil-on-canvas portrait attributed to Edgar Cowan — graduate and instructor of the Art Institute of Chicago — dated circa 1900–1910. The subject, a boy with dark hair and a wide-brimmed straw hat tilted just so, is rendered with the kind of loose, confident brushwork that makes you look twice. The warm ochre tones of the hat play beautifully against the soft rust of his collar and the cool, smoky grey of the background. There's real life in this face.

He's housed in his original carved wood frame — the same walnut-toned floral relief border as its companion piece, which tells us these two were likely meant to hang together. A few of the carved rosettes have gone missing… but that just shows they have enjoyed life. Turn it over and you'll find the same handwritten inscription on the back: "Artist – Edgar Cowan – Graduate and Instructor of Art Institute, Chicago, Illinois – Circa 1900–1910." Provenance doesn't get much more direct than that.

Measures 16" x 14", approx.

Condition-wise, the canvas shows the beautiful craquelure you'd expect from a work of this age. There is some paint loss and surface wear — nothing alarming, and all part of the honest, lived-in character of a 120-year-old painting. Offered as-is; a conservator would have a wonderful time with this one.

On its own, this is a striking, soulful portrait with great presence. Alongside its companion, it's a real statement. Either way — a genuine find from a remarkable Nantucket collection. This portrait and a companion portrait of a young woman were acquired together from the same Nantucket estate. Both are attributed to Edgar Cowan and listed separately in our shop — collect one o See less