Description:

A Northwest Day Oil on canvas, 36" x 44" Signed and dated 1934 $500,000. - 700,000. Time and again, it has been said of Benson's paintings and etchings of birds against the sky that they were like true, living creatures. "His birds are alive - miraculously alive!" wrote one critic. "They are not merely ornithological studies, stuffed birds that, like Mohomet's coffin, remain eternally suspended between heaven and earth, incapable of the slightest movement. These ducks can fly-they do fly- the spirit of the wild animates their wondrous bodies." (The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson, David R. Godine, 2000, p. 227) Benson had the rare combination of innate artistic ability and love for his subject matter that allows his viewers to momentarily forget that they are viewing a work of art, and truly experience the piece. There are many talented wildlife painters that have great technical ability but lack an emotional connection to their subjects. Benson's love of painting nature is so apparent, and his approach is so direct; that we forego the normal academic assessments and simply experience the work of art. It has been suggested that Benson was a perfectionist and that he grappled with each piece, rarely satisfied with the outcome, yet his paintings retain an effortless feel that make them accessible and appealing to all viewers./As a child he spent many hours at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard. Benson's mother, who was herself a painter, encouraged him in this pursuit. In 1880, Benson enrolled at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He studied with the school's founding teachers, Otto Grundmann (1844-1890) and Frederick Crowninshield (1845-1918). Among his classmates were Willard Metcalf (1858-1925), William Bicknell (1860-1947), Edmund C. Tarbell (1862-1938), and Joseph Lindon Smith (1863-1950). Benson learned quickly and was recognized as a particularly gifted student. In 1882, while still attending classes at the Museum School, Benson began to teach free evening drawing classes in Salem. In 1885 Benson rented a painting studio in Salem. He began to exhibit at the Boston Art Club and the National Academy of Design in New York, receiving much critical acclaim and numerous awards. After his marriage to Ellen Peirson in 1888, he taught at the Boston Museum School with his friend Edmund Tarbell intermittently until 1930. The year 1898 was the turning point in Benson's career. He joined a number of other leading painters from New York and Boston, including Tarbell, Childe Hassam (1859-1935), and J. Alden Weir (1852-1919) to form the "Ten American Painters." This group of radical avant-garde painters, mostly working in the French Impressionist style, rejected and resigned from the National Academy and the Society of American Artists to exhibit independently and without juries. Benson exhibited in all of the "Ten's" annual exhibitions, which were held for twenty years, to critical acclaim. This oil on canvas of Canadian Geese taking off demonstrates Benson's expertise not only in the medium, but also in depicting waterfowl. A classic composition, this work shows the artist in his transitional period from his earlier, tighter brushwork to the more expressive strokes that are the hallmark of his later pieces. (Key Words: Thoroughbred Horse Racing, Polo, Steeplechase, Fox Hunting, Shooting, Fishing, African Wildlife, Western)

  • Dimensions: 36 x 44
  • Medium: Oil on canvas

Accepted Forms of Payment:

MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipping is at buyer's additional expense. Please refer to the Conditions of Sale.

November 20, 2013 4:00 PM EST
Lexington, KY, US

Cross Gate Gallery

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$0 - $100,000:
21.00%
$100,001 - $1,000,000:
16.00%
$1,000,001+:
11.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $4,999 $100
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $49,999 $1,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $25,000
$500,000 + $50,000