Painting by John Edward Costigan, Sheep & Shepherd
Painting: 16.5" x 16"
Frame: 24.5" x 24"

Probably one of the most beautiful paintings you will ever see by this artist, if not one of the most beautiful paintings you will see this year, this work by Costigan captures what is almost impossible to capture, the flickering light in a forest between trees, sheep and a shepherd, in the drenched color beauty of a summer day.

John Costigan
John Edward Costigan NA (February 29, 1888 to August 5, 1972) was an American artist. Costigan was mainly self-taught. He is known for his strong brush stroke and an interest in the common person as a subject. He portrays his people as deeply rooted in the soil that they work, humble yet dignified and contented. His most famous mediums are oil and watercolor painting as well as etchings and lithographs. The firm that he had worked for closed during the depression and in 1920s he decided to buy a farm in Orangeburg, New York to paint. His subjects were his wife and his child. In 1928, he became a member of the National Academy of Design.

Costigan was a cousin of the noted American showman, George M. Cohan, whose parents brought the young Costigan to New York City and were instrumental in starting him on a career in the visual arts after he and his four sisters became orphaned. John Edward married sculptor Ida Blessin. Together they had five children.-----------------------------------------------------This painting is signed in the lower right hand corner by the artist.

Good condition overall.The reverse has a label from William Karges Fine Art Gallery in Beverly Hills California.A similar painting to this one, titled March, was sold by David Rago auctions June 21st of 2020,lot 248,in their American and European sales.It was slightly larger, 29 inches by 35 inches, the hammer price was 18,000.00, with buyers premium, 22,500.00.