03-07-200803-08-2008
Skinner Auctions
Skinner AuctionsBoston MA
2399Boston
March 7, 2008 12:00 PMCalender
677

John Edward Costigan (American, 1888-1972) The Picnic

Sell one like this
$27,255$23,000
Auction: American & European Works of Art - 2399Location: BostonDate / Time: March 07, 2008 12:00PM

Description:

John Edward Costigan (American, 1888-1972)

The Picnic
Signed "J.E. Costigan" l.r., titled and identified with Babcock Galleries
label fragment on the reverse.
Oil on Masonite, 24 x 30 in. (61 x 76.2 cm),framed.
Condition: Surface grime.
N.B. John Edward Costigan was a largely self-taught artist, working adeptly as a painter and printmaker in various media. He exhibited in over forty shows at the National Academy of Design between 1920 and 1950. He also received critical acclaim in his lifetime-he was named a National Academician in 1928, and was the subject of a traveling retrospective by the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 1968. Unlike some of his contemporaries, such as Everett Shinn and Walt Kuhn, who remained fascinated by the drama and bustle of the Big City for the rest of their careers, Costigan opted for the quiet of the countryside. In 1919, Costigan married, began a family, and moved to Orangeburg, New York, a suburb just outside of New York City-described by the artist's son as "the setting for the many idyllic farm landscapes and wood interiors with which he was to become identified." (1) The farm in Orangeburg would inspire Costigan for the next forty years. His devotion to the pastoral landscape at one point earned him the moniker "Millet of American Painting." (2) He frequently used his family as the subject of his landscapes, depicting them engaged in the simple pleasures of rural life. His wife Ida May Blessin, a professional model, served as the only model for his female figures, and the children depicted were drawn from his five children and later grandchildren. In the present work, Costigan's eldest son Jack is the subject for the three children. Picnic is a prime example of Costigan's impressionistic style, which is characterized by a palette-knife technique and heavy impasto. We wish to thank Daniel M. Costigan for his assistance with identifying the figures in this work.
Estimate $20,000-25,000

1) Costigan, Daniel M. John Edward Costigan, N.A. American Artist (1888-1972). 24 January 2008. http://www.costigan.net
2) Watson, Ernest W. "John Costigan: The Millet of American Painting." American Artist. Oct. 1949: 27.


The work might benefit from cleaning.

Keywords

John Edward Costigan, B. John Edward Costigan, largely self-taught artist , National Academy of Design, Smithsonian, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Walt Kuhn, Everett Shinn, Orangeburg, New York City, landscape at one point earned, Ida May Blessin, professional model , Jack, Daniel M. Costigan, Daniel M. John Edward Costigan N.A., http://www.costigan.net