Frank W. Benson: Divine Discontent

"Alert" by Frank W. Benson

"Frank W. Benson's grandchildren remember that he often put an etching through many trial proofs before he was satisfied with the end result. They recall his deep sighs of frustration and looks of disgust as he pulled off the second or third trial from a new plate and found it not to his liking. His notations, in pencil, on the early trials were instructions to himself on how to improve the next proof state. Comments about such things as adding clouds, increasing the number of birds, or darkening specific lines are written in the margins of his trial proofs. These penciled notes are an interesting window into the mind of the artist struggling to get the plate to a point he considered satisfactory.

Benson spoke often of the endless hours needed to master this skill and the opportunities for frustration inherent in a medium that demanded long periods of trial and error. Although a great number of his etchings so pleased him on the first pull that he required no further proofs, printing the entire edition from the first state, many others demanded multiple trial impressions. Others so clearly displeased him that after printing just a few trials, he abandoned the plate. 

A good example of this is Benson's 'Pintails Passing.' Although he had been etching for fully fifteen years when he created this drypoint in 1930, he required eight proofs before he was ready to publish. Working slowly on the design, Benson merely outlined the first few ducks in the first impression and then filled them in for the second. In the third trial he darkened two ducks and in the fourth completed the work on the upper four birds. He then added reflections and the horizon line for a fifth trials, and, not liking the reflection of the lowest bird, he reduced it by scraping. Of these trial proofs he printed only one or two impressions. Benson then lengthened the tail in the central bird, narrowed its body and introduced foreground rushes. In his final proof, he strengthened all the ducks, developed the landscape and horizon more fully and added clouds. Not quite satisfied, he removed the burr from the bodies of the upper birds before printing an edition of 150.

His good friend and fellow-etcher, Samuel Chamberlain, said that, even after more than twenty years of etching, 'Benson was a tireless experimentor, spurred on by a divine discontent with his work, and aspiring some day to do an etching that entirely pleased him. Once when asked if he had a favorite etching, Benson merely replied, 'I do each one as well as I can and let it go at that.'"

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson" by Faith Andrews Bedford.)

Frank W. Benson: Etchings

"Rain Squall," an etching by Frank W. Benson

"By 1915, Frank W. Benson had been etching for three years. Since he did not consider his prints worthy of sale, he had given most of them to family, friends, and fellow artists. For the most part, he did his etchings for relaxation, a challenging change of pace. He hadn't considered them worthy of exhibition. But a number of his friends thought otherwise, And obviously the public felt the same. The exhibition at the Guild had not even been open a week when George Sloan called Benson to tell him that every etching had been sold and to ask if he could bring in more on his next trip into Boston. 

In the first published critique of his etchings, it was noted that Benson was devoting his evenings to etching and did all his own printing. 'He is an original and remarkable etcher... To say the etchings are as good in their way as the paintings is the highest praise possible... The very ecstasy of flight is expressed in the swift gliding of these birds in the air. It is as natural as breathing, and to see them flying is to feel that you, too, could fly.' Remarks of this sort were to be echoed time and again in the dozens of articles written about Benson's etched work.

Benson printed his first etching at the age of twenty-one, inspired by a talk given in Boston by Sir Francis Seymour Haden, a noted British etcher. Buying himself a copy of Maxime Lalannne's 'Treatise on Etching,' Benson carefully followed Lalanne's instructions and began experimenting in the attic of his Salem home. His first etching, 'Salem Harbor,' was used as the frontispiece for an edition of 'The Art Students,' the Museum School magazine of which he was an editor. After the copper plate was steel faced, a Boston printer ran off fifteen hundred copies. But, when Benson had made three or four further attempts at etching, he discontinued his efforts, feeling that he 'did not know enough about drawing to make etchings.' 

Benson was granted one-man shows of his prints in most of America's major cities. Issues of art magazines were devoted to his etching. He won award after award, and many collectors had standing orders for one of any etching he might complete. Called the 'Dean of the American Etchers' and 'Master of the Sporting Print,' Benson was urged to write a book about this new 'experiment' that had met with such enthusiasm, but he declined, saying such things were 'better left to others.' 

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson" by Faith Andrews Bedford.) 

Frank W. Benson: North Haven

"A Rainy Day" by Frank W. Benson

"The setting for most of Benson's best-known outdoor works was the island of North Haven in Maine's Penobscot Bay. The Bensons first rented the old farmhouse on Crabtree Point in 1901. They bought it five years later. It was here at Wooster Farm, that he created most of the sparkling outdoor canvases of his family that won him such favor with contemporary (and modern-day) collectors. His daughters, dressed in white and posed on windswept hillsides became evocations of the quintessential 'American Girl.'

North Haven also provided Benson with wide vistas of water and blue hills beyond, scenes of eagles swirling above storm-tossed seas, fishermen pulling in heavy nets, and sailing dories scudding before brisk winds. It was a rich environment for a painter. He captured his summer world in oils and watercolor, etching and wash drawing.

But Maine is as famous for its fog as it is for its shimmering sunlight. Wooster Farm was often shrouded in blankets of gray mist. Days of rain frequently forced Benson to put aside his plein air studies and move indoors. That said, his North Haven interiors are rare-only five are known to exist. The earliest, 'Rainy Day' of 1906, depicts in front of the fireplace in the living room. A subdued pal­ette of blues and creams cre­ates a mood quite different from his outdoor works. Antiques and objets d’art were an important aspect of the family furnishings; small sketches, pewter candlesticks, and vases adorn the mantel­piece. Although the composition seems unstud­ied, it is cleverly arranged. Architectural elements offering strong horizontal and vertical lines are complemented by the curves of the mirror, the Canton jar, and Elisabeth’s figure curled up in the rattan chair. The dark, horizontal mass of the fireplace is echoed by the painting on the wall of the back parlor and offset by the tall, narrow doorway through which is glimpsed a rain-streaked window.*

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson" by Faith Andrews Bedford and "A Rainy Day: Frank W. Benson's Maine Interiors" in "Antiques," July/August 2012.) 

Frank W. Benson: Japonisme

 

"The Silver Screen" by Frank W. Benson

"By the 1880s , Exhibitions of Japanese art were beginning to be seen in America as well as in Europe, not only at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago but also at the Boston Museum show, held in 1893. Soon several American artists, notably Benson's friends, J. Alden Weir and John Twachtman, began experimenting with such oriental techniques as abstract compositions, high horizons, flattened forms and space, and strong diagonals.

It is not surprising that Far Eastern influences can be seen in Benson's work; he had lived with them all his life. As his sea captain ancestors plied the China trade, they filled their houses with Oriental porcelains, brass, carpets, and fabrics. It was only natural that, when looking for an accessory, Benson would simply  bring something to his studio from home. He often used Oriental screens as a backdrop. In his later still lifes, these screens combine with other Oriental objects d'art to create some of his most striking compositions. He also made frequent use of the beautifully embroidered silk coats that, in New England, were perennially in fashion as evening wraps. Such accessories can also be seen in the work of those that Benson taught. The thread of Japonisme can be seen weaving its way through generations of students.

Sometime during this early period of experimenting with wash, Benson tried combining colored watercolor and black and white wash at least once. In 'Geese Flying' the subtle gradation of gray, black and white  used to depict the birds harmonizes with the deep blues and greens of the trees and the icy blue of the winter marsh. But Benson felt that colored watercolors were too 'soft and pretty' for the rugged hunting scenes he was painting and did not actively take up that medium until many years later.

The popularity of Benson's wash drawings was so overwhelming that, in an effort to satisfy all his collectors, Benson allowed the Elson Art Publishing Company to reproduce seven of his wildfowl drawings. They were described as 'printed by hand on the copperplate press.' Benson supervised the reproduction of one hundred impressions of each, but did not sign them.

The most stunning of these is 'Swan Flight,' a triptych composed of three wash drawings, each painted to stand on its own, independent of the other two. When displayed together, however, this handsome picture measures nearly four feet wide. The subtle gradations of tone that Benson was able to achieve with his wash drawings are to accurately reproduced in this set of prints that modern-day collectors are apt to assume they are the actual drawings. 

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson" by Faith Andrews Bedford.)  

 

Frank W. Benson: Ten American Impressionists

"Ten American Painters" (Frank Benson is standing next
to William Merritt Chase, second from the left.)

"When in 1898, Frank W. Benson joined two other Bostonians and seven New Yorkers to exhibit their best work in exquisitely arranged small shows, the group (dubbed 'The Ten' by newspapers) quickly became known as the American Impressionists, a reference to the style of their French predecessors. The Ten's annual shows quickly became an eagerly awaited part of the annual exhibition calendar and were always well reviewed. Held annually in New York City, the group's yearly exhibitions usually traveled to Boston and were occasionally seen in Providence, Rochester, Philadelphia, Washington, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. 

(Just to note that although the newspapers may have called this group "The Ten," the artists actually referred to themselves as "Ten American Painters," which is what was printed on the catalogs for their shows. The members of this group were Frank Benson, Joseph DeCamp, Childe Hassam, Willard L. Metcalf, Robert Reid, Edward Simmons, Edmund Tarbell, John Twachtman and J. Alden Weir. All had been members of the Society of American Artists, were friends, and felt that it had become unfavorable to the Impressionist style they had adopted. 

Originally, they had also invited Winslow Homer, who declined, and Abbott H. Thayer, who accepted membership but withdrew before the group's first exhibition.) Homer wrote J. Alden Wier this explanation: 'You do not realize it, but I am too old for this work and I have already decided to retire from business at the end of the season. So you see that I cannot join you at even this most cordial invitation - and admiring as I do all of you... You see it would oblige me to work - at this late day - when I wish to make the most of the few years I have left.' After John Twachtman suddenly died in 1902, William Merritt Chase joined in his place. 

For twenty years they exhibited together, then dissolved due to death in its ranks and decline of public interest. For in the years following the 1913 Armory Show, abstractionism became the new darling of the art world. The Cubists and the Fauves became cutting edge. Benson and his contemporaries were considered 'old-fashioned'. By 1917, reviews of the Ten's annual exhibition grew less enthusiastic. Younger critics were beginning to view the venerable, talented members of the Ten as 'old hat' and it became fashionable to malign them."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson" by Faith Andrews Bedford and Wikipedia's article on "Ten American Painters.")  

Frank W. Benson: The Great Outdoors

"The Sisters" by Frank W. Benson

"From 1889 to 1893, Frank W. Benson spent his summers at Dublin Lake, New Hampshire, enjoying the freedom from a confining studio. First introduced to Dublin by Joseph Lindon Smith, Benson was no doubt also attracted to this burgeoning artistic summer colony by the opportunity to share ideas with other artists, scientists, philosophers, and men of letters. Nestled at the foot of Mount Monadnock, the area had long been a mecca for hikers from all over the East Coast. Benson spent his summers there painting out-of-doors and profiting from time spent with an early mentor, Abbot Handerson Thayer. The mountain itself became the subject of a number of paintings. Beginning in 1893, Benson spent the next five summers on the seacoast at Newcastle, New Hampshire. Here he taught open-air art classes with Edmund Tarbell, his fellow instructor from the Museum School.
____________ 

'The two little girls are having trouble keeping still. The baby, dressed in a long, white dress, continually wants to toddle off toward a dock to which a small boat is tied. She has ridden in the boat before and is eager to do so again. She loves to watch her father pull hard against the oars as they bob across Portsmouth Harbor on their way to Kittery, Maine. Her older sister, hat clamped firmly on her head, has given up trying to keep the baby's bonnet on and is focusing on their father's request to try to keep the little girl near her. Their father, standing before an easel, is attempting to catch the fleeting moments of childhood as well as his fleeting baby. He swoops her up and carries her back to her sister so that they can pose together once again. He tries to capture it all, the feel of the fresh summer breeze, the delicate tracery of the leaves against the summer-blue sky, the sunlight as it washes the girls' dresses with light. The baby runs off again. He puts down his brushes and gives chase.'

_____________ 

 In Dublin and Newcastle, Benson introduced his children to the joys of sailing and attempted to paint them in all their happy, summer pursuits. At first, he considered these early outdoor forays into figures 'en plein air' as not very successful. The critics, however, were impressed. When an early outdoor work, 'Mother and Children' of 1894 won first prize for oils at an an exhibition, a critic gushed, 'It shows a chasteness of sentiment and a classical yet refined treatment... There is a subtle modeling of the baby flesh, a pensive tranquillity that gives Mr. Benson a unique niche.'"

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson" by Faith Andrews Bedford.)   

Frank W. Benson: The Art of Wildfowl

"Ducks in the Rain" by Frank W. Benson

"Together with his two brothers-in-law, Frank W. Benson bought a small farmhouse in Eastham on Cape Cod. A simple, weathered building without electricity or running water, this little house overlooked the Nauset Marsh that featured prominently in Benson's sporting works for years to come.

The influence on his art of this hunting retreat - which the owners called, simply, the Farmhouse - was powerful. Many of his later hunting works can be traced directly to scenes glimpsed on the ponds and bays, marshes and inlets of Eastham. Moreover, Benson's fond memories of his years spent on the marsh there lingered on until the end of his life. It is perhaps no small coincidence that shortly after the purchase of the Farmhouse, Benson painted a large canvas of wild swans flying across a gray sky. Titled 'Swan Flight,' it appears to be the earliest known exhibited painting that depicts wild birds. Before 1893, his exhibited work had never included wildfowl; thereafter this would be a theme to which he returned time and time again  throughout his life.

 'Swan Flight' was sold almost instantaneously, a portent of his later years when such works would sell virtually before he could finish them. He could hardly keep up with the demand. In 1925 he wrote to one of his New York dealers, 'I made [a painting of wildfowl] the other day at home and I looked forward to exhibiting it and, almost before it was dry, a visitor saw it and carried it off! It's my good fortune to be doing what people like, but it keeps me on the jump.'

In the early 1890s, wild birds were not universally recognized as 'appropriate' subject matter in the serious art world. Benson, however, had obviously reached an enthusiastic audience. From this point on, he included at least one wildfowl painting in each of his larger exhibitions. All of them sold." 

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson" by Faith Andrews Bedford.)