Portrait of a Mexican man

Sol Kogen
1942
Pencil and charcoal
H 74, W 64 cm (with frame attributed to Jesús Torres)

Edgar Miller's creative collaborator and business partner on the first two Handmade Homes building projects, Sol Kogen (1900-1957), was himself a talented artist. He had grown up taking art classes at Jane Addam's Hull House before enrolling at the School of the Art Institute in the late 1910s, which was where he eventually met Miller and a cohort of up-and-coming artists and designers. Charming and charismatic, Kogen was known as a true "bon vivant" typical of the era, and was key to the initial success of the Carl Street Studios as a popular artist enclave. While Miller led his team of artists in constructing interesting modern studio spaces and installing art, Kogen secured financing and materials, most famously by salvaging premium discarded artistic tiles from second-hand vendors at the Maxwell Street Market– Chicago's largest and most eclectic open-air bazaar. Kogen's parties at the Carl Street Studios also attracted frequent visitors and ensured a waiting list for rental vacancies.

Like many Gatsby-esque figures of the time, Kogen was also fond of excess, and by his forties was already suffering from major health issues. Prescribed convalescence in a warmer climate by his doctor, he spent several years in Mexico during the 1940s. During this time, Kogen was very productive, creating elaborate and detailed drawings in pencil and charcoal like this one.

This drawing portrays a man from Mexico, perhaps someone who sat for their portrait by Kogen. The carved wooden frame is believed to have been executed by Kogen and Miller's long-time associate, craftsman and artist Jesús Torres (1898-1949).