John F. Kennedy Watercolor Painting Of Sheepshead Bay Will Be Auctioned On Assassination Anniversary

John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was also a watercolor enthusiast, and produced a painting of our beloved Sheepshead Bay waterfront while campaigning for the presidency.

Entitled “Sheepshead Bay, NY,” it and two other canvasses will be sold at auction by John McInnis Auctioneers in Amesbury, MA,  tomorrow, on the 50th anniversary of his assassination.

An avid sailor and yachtsman, Kennedy painted the waterfront and one of his favorite subjects – a sailboat – while seeking out votes in New York City in 1960.

If not for the historical importance of its painter, the canvasses themselves probably wouldn’t be worth much. Kennedy was just a hobbyist, after all, and even those behind the sale note that where he excelled in politics, he came up short in artistic talent.

“I don’t think he was necessarily the most talented person in the world” joked Dan Meader, the director of John McInnies. “When you look at the paintings in person, you can actually see how he water colored them and changed them.”

For President Kennedy, painting was not a solitary hobby and often involved his family, friends and close political advisors.

“He usually did it as a group thing with Jackie standing right over his shoulder,” Meader said, adding that the painting was in fact titled and dated by Mrs. Kennedy since the President’s script was notoriously illegible. “That’s actually Jackie’s handwriting,” he pointed out.

Meader said bidding on the painting of Sheepshead Bay will start at about $5,000 to $8,000.

The artwork, along with family photographs and other personal items, was brought to John McInnis by a longtime friend of the Kennedys who asked to remain anonymous.

The three-day auction will kick off at 3:00 pm on November 22, marking the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination.

— Steven Volynets