Antique of the Week: Edward Kennedy Painting

As everyone in Kensington knows, Antique Row is one of the community’s points of pride. Howard Avenue and its side streets are lined with shops specializing in antique furniture, rugs, vintage toys, used books and more. This large presence in the community sparked our feature, Antique of the Week, where we will showcase a different item or curiosity each week to bring attention to pieces from the past.

This week, we’re featuring a painting by Edward Kennedy. Isabelle Sanchez Tentenier, the manager of L’Enfant Modern & Antiques, recounted a fascinating story of this piece. She said that Kennedy was originally from Chicago, and he had spent many years living with the Native Americans in Arizona and New Mexico. He did many oil paintings of the Sioux tribe in particular. This painting depicts a medicine man.  

While Kennedy was living in New York City, he was so destitute that he could not even afford to pay the dry cleaner his bill. Instead, he offered his oil painting to the Chinese owner, Tentenier said. The owner saved it rolled up in the back of the laundry mat until he died. Then, his family discovered it and auctioned it.

Tentenier said that the painting was circa 1900. She is selling it for $37,000

This painting, among many other exquisite paintings and antiques, are available at L’Enfant Modern & Antiques at 4130 Howard Ave. Tintenier can be reached at 301-512-3564.