24: JOHN NOLF (1872-1950) REGIONALIST OIL ON CANVAS

John Thomas Nolf (1872-1950)
Farm Boy (First quarter of the 20th Century.)
The oil on canvas of a young man wearing overalls and misshapen straw hat is signed upper left.

An original cardstock label tacked to the frame is inscribed in pencil, ''Farm Boy EH- This ????? was farmer at Rockford and De Kalb.''

The Illinois towns listed there are about 47 and 35 miles, respectively, from Grand Detour, Illinois, location of the Artist's Colony where Nolf considered himself the unofficial mayor.

John Thomas Nolf, short-term resident of Joplin, Missouri and many other locales, lived a pretty colorful life before becoming an artist. Winnings from a poker game bought him a first class ticket to Chicago where he attended the Chicago Art Institute, launching his career as an artist, an illustrator, and a teacher. He is most associated with the quaint Illinois village of Grand Detour where some described him as 'Will Rodgers without the chewing gum and lariat.'

The people and places on the farms around Grand Detour, Illinois often provided inspiration for Nolf's regionalist paintings.
Canvas measures 22.25 x 18.25 with a framed size of 26.75 x 22.75 inches.
Very good original untouched condition. There are no issues of major scratches, losses, repairs, in-painting or touch-up. Examination under UV light confirms the complete absence of inpainting or touch-up.
$1,500 - $2,500