Robert Emmett Owen

This oil painting by American artist Robert Emmet Owen captures a New England autumn with Owen’s signature warmth and impressionistic style. Rendered in rich, vibrant tones, the comp...

A fine impressionist landscape by American artist Robert Emmett Owen (1878-1957). Owen began his art training at the Drury Academy in his hometown of North Adams, Massachusetts. In 1897, while supporting himself by working at a local establishment, he contributed pen and ink drawings to Life Magazine, initiating what would be a long and productive career as an illustrator. The next year, he received a scholarship to study at the Eric Pape School of Art in Boston. After three years of training in Boston, Owen achieved further success from his commercial work, selling drawings to the Boston Globe, National Magazine, and Brown Book Magazine. Later, his work would appear in Scribner’s Magazine, Harper’s Monthly, and other publications. In 1901, Owen moved to New York and continued his training at the Art Students League, the Chase School, and the National Academy of Design. Among his instructors were Frederick Mulhaupt and Leonard Ochtman. In New York, Owen became aware of the art of leading American impressionists and began to create works that reflected the influence in particular of Willard Metcalf, J. Alden Weir, and Childe Hassam. Owen eventually opened his own gallery on Madison Avenue, where he exhibited and sold his own work for over twenty years. He became very well known for his impressionist views of rural landscapes. His color-filled paintings capture the moods and seasonal splendor of the New England countryside. Oil on canvas, signed lower left, artist placard on frame, title inscribed on verso stretcher “Dog Wood Tree...

This original oil painting by Robert Emmett Owen , dating from the early part of the 20th century, is presented and supplied in its’ original frame (which is shown in these photographs). The frame dimensions are 50cm high x 42cm wide. The visible painting dimensions are 29cm high x 21cm wide (11.4inches high x 8.3inches wide). The painting is signed lower right. Robert Emmett Owen was a successful American artist, best known for his impressionist views of rural landscapes. His colour filled paintings capture the moods and seasonal splendor of the New England countryside. He was born in North Adams, Massachusetts in 1878. He began his art studies at Drury Academy in his hometown and quickly gained notice. At age 19, in 1897, he had several drawings accepted for publication by Life Magazine. The following year he received a scholarship to the Eric Pape School of Art in Boston, where he worked in the art department of the Boston Globe to pay for his studies. Owen moved to New York City in 1901 where he rapidly achieved renown as an illustrator and worked for various publications including Harper’s Bazaar, Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly, Scribner’s and Cosmopolitan while continuing his training at the Art Students League, the Chase School, and the National Academy of Design. In 1910 Owen moved to Bagnall, Connecticut, to concentrate on landscapes full time. He had the opportunity there to paint outdoors in all seasons. He also received numerous commissions from many prominent citizens. In 1919, Temple Gwathmey, former president of the New York Stock Exchange, commissioned a series of twenty paintings, and in 1923, Stephen H. P. Pell commissioned a series of images for Fort Ticonderoga, eight of which were reproduced as full-page illustrations in Harper’s. Owen also received commissions from Percy Rockefeller and Edward Stettinus, former Secretary of State. Owen moved back to New York City in 1920, and opened his own gallery while continuing to do magazine illustrations. The gallery, called the Robert Emmett Owen New England Landscape Gallery, only exhibited and sold his own work. It moved several times during the next 21 years, always remaining successful until Owen closed it in 1941 when the United States entered the Second World War and moved to New Rochelle, New York to be the artist-in-residence at the Thomas Paine Memorial Museum. His work was well liked by both critics and the public and examples are held by the Frick Art Museum, New York, the Bruce Museum, Connecticut and the Greenwich Public Library. Owen died in New Rochelle in 1957. This painting is a feast for the eyes, depicting a New England cottage...

Oil on canvas