1930’s Ralph Cahoon Decorated Pine Blanket Chest with Family & Museum Provenance

This chest is an early example of Ralph Cahoon’s interest in the folk painting tradition from central Sweden, and appears to have preceded the stylized Pennsylvania Dutch Americana folk art he painted for his wife’s family business. The piece remains in very good condition – structurally very sound, and the paint strong and bright, with a small amount of scuffs and scrape exposing the underlying primer.

The chest became the property of Cape Cod antiques dealer Steven Hayes of Sow’s Ear Antiques, the next door neighbor and friend of the Cahoons. It was loaned on exhibit in the Cahoon Museum in Cotuit, and is accompanied by the museum placard from that exhibit.

Measures: 38-1/2 in H x 39 in W x 17-1/2 in Deep

Ralph Cahoon (1910-1982) was born and raised in Chatham, and his wife Martha, in Harwich, both quintessential Cape Codders. They were both sophisticated and down-to-earth. They met at a local dance, married in 1932, and eventually settled into the historic Crocker House (now the Cahoon Museum) in 1945. They lovingly restored it and transformed it into their studio and gallery. They lived, painted, and sold their art amidst the aromas of home cooking and linseed oil.

Ralph and Martha began their careers as accomplished furniture decorators, at first painting for Martha’s parent’s family business, then after marriage for themselves. Like the later Peter Hunt, they would hunt down pieces of antique furniture at Cape Cod antiques shops and then decorate the pieces in their whimsical style. Their lives took an unexpected turn in 1953 when a New York gallery owner and patron suggested they apply their talents to easel painting. Their careers took off and their work remains highly collectable today. For over 85 years, the appeal of the lighthearted exploits of Ralph’s sailors and mermaids cavorting in imaginary nautical scenes, and the delicate pastoral scenes painted by Martha has not diminished. Deeply rooted in American folk art traditions, the Cahoons’ work invokes nostalgia for a life full of lighthearted good humor, simple charm, and popular pastimes.