WASHINGTON, PATER PATRIÆ

This captivating painting is a wonderful example of Ralph Cahoon’s and showcases his ability to combine historic reference sources with the fantastical. Cahoon (1910-1982) was the son of Scottish immigrants who settled in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He was the descendant of fishermen and whalers which heavily influenced the artist as reflected in the present work. In 1932, he married Martha Farham (1905-1999), the daughter of a talented furniture decorator. In their courtship, Martha taught Ralph the art of furniture decorating and in time, they both began painting folk scenes. Here, Cahoon takes inspiration from an engraving by Enoch G. Gridley (active c. 1803-1813), Pater Patriae, also known as Sacred to the Memory of the Truly Illustrious George Washington circa 1800, who in turn based his composition on John Cole, Jr’s now-lost painting (see Enoch G. Gridley, Pater Patriae, The Mount Vernon Museum Collection, object no. SC-2). Cahoon interprets this historic image memorializing the American hero and reimagines it in his recognizable style. The portrait of Washington centered in a pyramidal monument is surrounded by cherubs hanging garlands. Below, Cahoon has replaced a figure of America and a soldier from the Gridley composition with weeping mermaids. They grieve the loss of the first president. Above, Cahoon’s trademark whimsical hot air balloons dot the sky and are decorated with the names Princeton, Monmouth, Trenton and Yorktown recalling those battles of the Revolutionary War.