William McGregor Paxton (American, 1869-1941) Head Study of James Howell Cummings

William McGregor Paxton (American, 1869-1941)

Head Study of James Howell Cummings. Signed "PAXTON" l.r. Oil on canvas, 25 x 21 in., unframed. Condition: Uneven coloration presenting as darkened brushwork in areas of shadow, minor paint losses.

Provenance: A New Jersey estate.

N.B. James Howell Cummings was the chairman of the Stetson Hat Company, a position he assumed 1906 upon the death of company founder John Stetson. The lot is accompanied by a photo of the finished Paxton portrait of Cummings and ephemera related to Cummings including a page from the John B. Stetson Company employee magazine The Hat Box.