Elias V. Coe

Coe, Elias Van Arsdale

American, 1794 - 1843

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The image shows a woman with the upper torso visible. She is facing forward holding a closed book with her hands together. The woman has fair skin, dark eyes, thin eyebrows, and brown curly hair framing her face. She wears a lace cap and a dark dress with a white lace collar. She has gold earrings with red jewels, and a gold chain with a key or locket. In the background, there is a landscape with trees and water under a cloudy sky.
Elias V. Coe, Mrs. Phebe Houston, 1837, oil on canvas, Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1953.5.6

Mrs. Phebe Houston

Elias V. Coe · 1837 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1953.5.6

The image shows a man depicted from the waist up, holding surveying instruments in his hands. He is positioned facing slightly to the left while looking directly at the viewer. His facial features are distinct with a straight nose, thin lips, and light complexion, and his hair is short and dark, neatly combed back. He is dressed in formal attire consisting of a black suit with a white shirt and a black necktie. The man is holding a yellow ruler-like tool in one hand while the other hand holds a compass. Behind him, there is a surveyor's transit on a tripod. The background includes a tree with lush green leaves and a partially cloudy sky.
Elias V. Coe, Henry W. Houston, 1837, oil on canvas, Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1957.11.6

Henry W. Houston

Elias V. Coe · 1837 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1957.11.6

Bibliography

1908

  • Hornby, Mrs. E.B. Under Old Rooftrees. Jersey City, 1908: 197.

1974

  • New-York Historical Society. Catalogue of American Portraits in The New-York Historical Society. 2 vols. New Haven and London, 1974, 2:818.

1992

  • Chotner, Deborah, with contributions by Julie Aronson, Sarah D. Cash, and Laurie Weitzenkorn. American Naive Paintings. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1992: 70.