Frank Weston Benson

Artist Biography

Frank Weston Benson was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He studied art, prints and posters at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and then at l'Academie Julian, in Paris, with Boulanger and Lefebvre. Benson was a teacher throughout his career, first in Portland, Maine, then in his Boston studio, and later at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

In 1900, Benson began to take the subjects of his portraits outside as the focus of his interests shifted from an emphasis on the figure, as in the 1880 "Girl in a Red Shawl”, towards a growing enchantment with modulations of light and color. Sunlight, and brilliant whites and blues began to be prominent in his art, prints and posters. An early association with Ten American Painters (founded by American artists dedicated to Impressionism) perhaps fueled his growing interest in the aesthetics of Impressionism.

Interestingly, one of Benson's most well known projects, a series of murals in the Library of Congress, does not reflect his conversion to the Impressionist aesthetic. He is best known for his informal portrait art, prints and posters of his own family and for his use of brilliant colors and pure whites. Frank Weston Benson was one of the most successful and prolific artists of his generation. He died in his home in Salem on November 15, 1951.

Frank Weston Benson Art, Prints and Posters Collection