1925 OAHU, HAWAII. Early Modernist Surfing Painting by Emil Kosa Jr. Important Hawaii - California Painting.

A superb, early Hawaiian modernist work and the only extant Hawaii painting by this significant California / West Coast Modernist from his trip there in 1925.

Rear bears an inscription, "Presented to Lucy W. Craft, April 24, 1927 by Emil Kosa Jr. in Los Angeles" 

Emil Kosa Jr. auction records up to $51,000.00. 

Inscribed, "Emil Kosa Jr. Coconut Grove. Oahu, Hawaii. 1925." But actually Waimanalo Bay, Oahu. It is unclear whether the beach was perhaps known by this name in 1925, or whether Mr. Kosa was simply mistaken. 

30cm x 40cm / 12 x 16 inches sans frame. 40cm x 50cm / 16 x 20 inches framed. Oil on canvas board.

The work itself is in a very good state with some minor atmospheric surface buildup. It presents beautifully, but would also benefit from a light clean.

The frame is superb, notated in pencil as being by Newcomb-Macklin Company. Though it does not bear their distinctive corner splines, this detail was often foregone by the company on smaller format frames such as this. I have not opened the back to see if perhaps there are markings on the interior to verify, though I have located some nearly identical examples created by the fabled American frame maker. Regardless, it is a beautiful American Arts and Crafts style frame, of the period, with a bronze overcoat and in a very reasonable state of preservation as shown. Some light rubbing, bumps, and abrasions around periphery of the frame as one would expect.