Elwyn George Gowen | Cliffside Coastal Scene Maine

This oil on board by Elwyn George Gowen, titled “Cliffside Coastal Scene, Maine,” depicts a serene stretch of the Maine shore where rocky cliffs meet quiet, reflective water beneath a soft, atmospheric sky. Gowen’s gentle greens, cool grays, and subtle light effects evoke the calm, unhurried rhythm of coastal New England. The composition’s simplicity and balanced geometry highlight his ability to distill the region’s natural character into a contemplative, visually harmonious scene.

Elwyn George Gowen (1895–1954) was a Maine-born painter and designer trained at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where he received the Ripley Scholarship, Thayer Prize, and two Cummings Traveling Scholarships. He later became part of the Ogunquit art community, studying and teaching under Charles Woodbury. His work has been exhibited at the Tufts University Art Gallery—most notably in Elements of Expression: The Art and Design of Elwyn George Gowen—and is the focus of a forthcoming retrospective at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, which is actively collecting examples of his work from private owners. Gowen’s paintings also appear frequently in New England galleries and remain in private coastal-art collections, reflecting his enduring appeal as a sensitive interpreter of Maine’s distinctive landscape, light, and shoreline forms.