Kids Free Week: Gertrude Cawein at Hammond Castle Museum: An exhibit of nearly 60 works by Eric Pape

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Join us for a very special fine art exhibit, “Gertrude Cawein at Hammond Castle Museum,” featuring the works of Eric Pape (1870 – 1938). A former Annisquam resident and designer of the Tablet Rock Memorial in Gloucester’s Stage Fort Park, this exhibit marks a homecoming for this extraordinary collection of nearly 60 pieces from Pape’s extensive portfolio spanning his entire career and many not publicly seen since his death.

At the heart of this exhibition is the full-length portrait of Gertrude Cawein (oil on canvas, 75 x 52 inches framed), painted by Pape in 1907 and loaned by the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Kentucky. For the first time outside the Filson, visitors can witness this rare example of Pape’s work as a society portraitist.

With many pieces on loan from the private collection of esteemed Pape collector and biographer, Dr. Gregory Conn, this exhibit offers a unique insight into Pape’s multifaceted talents. Renowned as a painter and society portraitist, Pape’s brilliance shines through various mediums, including pencil, pen, watercolors, and oils.

The exhibition not only showcases Gertrude’s portrait but also highlights the intricate world of Eric Pape’s artistry, offering a unique glimpse into Pape’s role as a portraitist and including examples of his celebrity portraits created during the Great Depression. A limited selection of artworks from the Hammond Castle Museum’s previous 2023 “Pape at Hammond Castle Museum” exhibit will also be on display. The three Pape paintings on permanent display within the Museum, including the sole surviving mural of the celebrated artist, “The Wireless Naval Battle of Gloucester Bay,” will also be featured. The Museum Shop will host a limited number of copies of Dr. Conn’s newest biography, “Eric Pape in the New York Herald Tribune,” which delves into Pape’s work as a society portraitist. The exhibition is not only a celebration of art but also marks the announcement of the launch of Dr. Conn’s new website, ericpape.com, featuring free flipbooks of all five of his published Pape biographies.

The connection between the Cawein family, Eric Pape, and Gloucester runs deep. Madison Cawein, known as the Keats of Kentucky and Gertrude’s husband, wrote a poignant Ode to the founding of Gloucester for the 1907 Gloucester Day celebrations, during which time Pape presented his iconic Tablet Rock Memorial. The exhibition will also feature an elaborate pen and ink drawing by Pape, representing Madison’s moving elegy upon the death of Pape’s first wife, Alice Monroe Pape, in 1911.