John Edward Costigan

John Edward Costigan was an American painter and printmaker, best known for his burlesque and farm life scenes. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Costigan was taken in by relatives in New York City after he was orphaned as a teenager. His uncle, George M. Cohan, and aunt, Ethel Levey, and were both theatrical performers and likely spurred the young artist's interest in the scene. One of Costigan's first jobs was making theatrical posters at the Miner Lithograph Company.

Though largely self-taught, Costigan did study briefly at the Art Student's League. His work was very well received in the 1920s and 1930s, when he won numerous rewards. He was made a member of the National Academy in 1928, after which he began placing "N.A" at the end of his signature. He was shown at five exhibitions at the Whitney Museum between 1936-1941 and in 1968 his work toured the country in a resorptive show sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution.