Elwyn George Gowen | Cliff Scene Maine

This oil on board by Elwyn George Gowen, titled “Cliff Scene, Maine,” presents a quiet coastal vista where rocky cliffs rise above still water under a gentle, hazy sky. Gowen’s restrained greens, grays, and earth tones, coupled with his sensitive handling of light, capture the calm mood and modest drama of the Maine shoreline. The simple, balanced arrangement of cliff, sea, and sky creates a contemplative atmosphere that draws the viewer into the particular character of the New England coast.

Elwyn George Gowen (1895–1954) was a Maine-born American painter and designer known for his coastal and inland New England landscapes. Trained at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, he received multiple student honors and later worked and taught in the Ogunquit art community. His work has been featured in Elements of Expression: The Art and Design of Elwyn George Gowen at the Tufts University Art Gallery and in exhibitions at regional institutions such as the Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum in Maine. The Ogunquit Museum of American Art is currently planning a major retrospective of his work, underscoring renewed curatorial interest in his contribution to Maine modernism. Gowen’s paintings continue to appear in New England galleries, regional museums, and private collections devoted to Maine coastal art, where they are appreciated for their subtle light, structure, and sense of place.