Attributed to Ralph Eugene Cahoon (American, 1910-1982), gouache, pencil and possibly oil folk art painting on board, possibly a study, depicting whalers in two rowboats attempting to harpoon a whale with water being expelled from its blowhole; a whaling vessel sails near the shoreline in the background. Signed lower right "R. Cahoon". Pencil inscription en verso reading "To our Fran (sic?) Brad from Ralph C__ & Martha Ives" along with illegible numbers. Housed in a simple carved wood frame with wood liner. Sight - 22" H x 29 1/2" W. Framed - 26" H x 34" W. Circa late 1950s. Provenance: found in the Minnesota estate of American art collectors, who acquired it in the Northeast. Biography: Ralph Cahoon was born in Cape Cod and enjoyed a lifetime love of sailing and painting maritime scenes. He studied fine and graphic art at Boston's School of Practical Art. After marrying his wife Martha Farnham Cahoon (1905-1999), the couple made a name for themselves restoring, paint-decorating and selling antique furniture. They eventually transitioned to easel painting, first using plywood and later, masonite. Their individual styles were very similar, primarily pastel in tone, using greens, soft pinks, grays, and browns, with no attempt to use light or shade to create a third dimension. Mermaids became a hallmark of Ralph's style in the 1960s. Source: Michael David Zellman," 300 Years of American Art." (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)