Otis Cook

(1900-1980) 

Otis Cook was one of the second-generation Cape Ann artists whose skills tend to be overshadowed by artists such as Hibbard, Thieme, and Stevens. I was somewhat familiar with Cook’s later work for some time, tending to view it as thinly painted and a bit repetitious. His signature image became grey, foggy harbor scenes with a vessel or two clearly visible and another boat or two suggested in the distance. Occasionally, I would hear older Cape Ann folks refer to him as “Otie,” almost suggesting his work was not to be taken too seriously. Yet as so often happens, as earlier examples began emerging on the market, a reappraisal of what an artist was capable of producing began to change perspectives, as it did for me. This marvelous and distinctive view of the Rockport inner harbor at low tide appealed to me immediately. My timing (I acquired this piece in 2000) seems to have been a year or two ahead of a broader reappraisal and much higher prices at auction. So much for those who call him “Otie.”