Customer Reviews (1)

Getting to know Frank Benson
Faith Bedford has produced a stirring tribute to Frank Benson.The book contains 180 illustrations with 100 in color but this book really is more a biography and less an exhibition of his work. Having said that, the story is not just his but also very much the story of the earliest American Impressionists.A careful study of Benson's paintings in this book shows elements of his colleagues Whistler, Sargent, and Cassatt. But I also see works like "Hunter in a Boat" and watercolors like "Salmon River in Canada" that strongly suggest Winslow Homer. William Gerdts in the introduction to the book wrote, "Frank Benson painted some of the most beautiful pictures ever executed by an American artist." Studying this book and relishing the exquisite paintings in it helps one to understand those highly complimentary words.

Although Bedford's title, "Frank W. Benson, American Impressionist" suggests an emphasis on his impressionist work, the book also shows other painting styles. During his lifetime Benson won most of the awards any artist could.Reading the book enables one to understand clearly why. ... Read more

Book Description
A prominent figure in the Boston School and a member of the Ten American painters, Frank W. Benson executed a spectacular group of Impressionist works between 1897 and 1920 during summers spent on North Haven Island, Maine. Depicting his wife and daughters at leisure in the outdoors, Benson created vivid sunlit images expressive of the idyllic pleasures of endless August afternoons on a breezy, refreshing coastal landscape.This 74-page catalogue includes essays by Sheila Dugan, William H. Gerdts, and John Wilmerding. In addition to color illustrations of the twelve works in the show, there are ten color and twenty-two black and white reproductions. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Dynamite art book; also a great read!
I had thought that Benson was strictly a painter of Victorian era young ladies in seaside settings. This bio (by a descendent) fleshes out his various careersas a painter of oils, a teacher, a water colorist and whatever is the correct term for one who creates etchings.Also provides a good overview of the American art scene (especially "The Ten") during the transition from the 19th to the 20th century. ... Read more