Kathrin Cawein

1895-1996

Kathrin Cawein was an American artist best known for her finely crafted etchings, often depicting landscapes and interior scenes in a realist style. Born in New London, Connecticut, she studied at the Art Students League of New York from 1927 to 1932, where she was taught by noted printmakers Joseph Pennell and Harry Wickey. Cawein quickly gained recognition for the quality of her work, receiving praise for her technique, draftsmanship, and expressive use of light and shadow. Early in her career, her prints were featured in exhibitions across the country, including at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Philadelphia Print Club, and the National Association of Women Artists, where she won multiple awards. Though best known for her etchings, she also worked in drypoint, aquatint, woodcut, and drawing.

Cawein spent much of her life in Pleasantville, New York, where she drew inspiration from the local landscape and maintained a productive studio practice. She became closely associated with Seabury and Agnes Mastick, a prominent local couple who supported her work. After Agnes’s death, Cawein married Seabury Mastick in 1964. Following his passing, she made substantial contributions to Pacific University in Oregon, donating funds, etching plates, and rights to her works. In 1984, the university established the Kathrin Cawein Gallery of Art in her honor. Cawein continued to create and exhibit into her later years, living to the age of 100. Her legacy is preserved in numerous collections, including those of major print societies and museums across the United States.