James Cowan Biography
Mr. Cowan, born in 1858, was a successful insurance executive, who began collecting art while in his thirties and who, by his death, had amassed some seven hundred pieces of art. James Cowan spent a portion of his childhood in Tennessee, and he considered our state his ancestral home, because several of his immediate relatives were buried in Tullahoma, Tennessee. In 1897, Mr. Cowan was invited to participate in the Centennial Exposition, held at the future site of what is today known as Centennial Park. He was quite impressed with the people he met during his stay, and that further strengthened his admiration of Tennessee.
The Cowan Collection spans the years 1765-1923. Mr. Cowan was very specific in the choices for his collection, and in the interests they displayed. His selection of works emphasizes the landscape and seascape more than any other subject matter. And the technical styles vary from the smooth almost non-brushstroke of the Neo-classic, to the impasto and laded brush work of Impressionism. It is also important to note that all of the artists in this collection were American, most of whom were also members of the National Academy.