Frank Weston Benson Painting Reproductions 1 of 1

Frank Weston Benson (1862-1951) was an American artist known for his impressionistic oil paintings, watercolors, etchings, and lithographs. He was also a prominent figure in the American art world, serving as the president of the prestigious National Academy of Design and a member of the Ten American Painters.

Benson was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on March 24, 1862. He came from a family of artists, including his father, a successful businessman who also painted, and his mother, who was a skilled watercolorist. Benson showed a talent for art from a young age and received early training from his mother.

In 1879, Benson enrolled at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where he studied with renowned artists such as Edmund Tarbell and William Merritt Chase. He also spent time studying in Europe, where he was exposed to the work of the French impressionists.

In 1883, Benson returned to the United States and set up a studio in Salem. He began to develop his own style, which combined the loose brushwork and bright colors of the impressionists with the academic tradition of composition and design.

Benson's paintings were primarily focused on outdoor scenes, particularly of the New England coast. He was known for his depictions of women and children in naturalistic settings, often using his own family members as models. His work was popular with collectors and critics alike, and he won numerous awards and honors throughout his career.

In addition to his paintings, Benson was also a prolific printmaker. He created over 350 etchings and lithographs during his lifetime, many of which were based on his paintings and drawings.

Benson was a founding member of the Ten American Painters, a group of artists who sought to promote the principles of impressionism in the United States. He was also a member of the National Academy of Design and served as its president from 1924 to 1929.

Frank Weston Benson died on November 15, 1951, at the age of 89. Today, his work is held in the collections of major museums and galleries throughout the United States, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.