Johnpbenson.org is book shop site
Title
John Prentiss Benson, realist maritime paintings, Frank W. Benson
Description
John Prentiss Benson was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in February 1865, just two months before the Civil War ended with the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox in Virginia. There were six children born to George Wiggin Benson and Elisabeth Poole Benson between 1859 and 1872. Georgiana, the oldest, was followed by four boys – Frank, John, Henry (Harry), and Arthur. George Benson prospered as a cotton merchant in nearby Boston, and the family lived comfortably in the big white house on Washington Square in Salem. In addition to the excellent education they received in the Salem schools, the Benson children were fully exposed to the cultural and social life of Salem, and they all benefited from attending classes at Art Club, Drawing Club, and Cooking Club. Salem’s harbor and wharves were only a short walk from the house and proved irresistible to the Benson boys, who were by nature both curious and observant. Ships of all descriptions and nationalities frequented the harbor, offloading such exotic cargo as ivory, tea, wine, silk, and Chinese porcelains.
Artistic talent surfaced early in the Benson family, perhaps fostered in part by Elisabeth’s own abilities. Her oldest son recalled that his mother had “a little room” on the top floor of their house where she would go to paint and “forget about the rest of the world.”
When Frank announced his decision to become an artist, he was given his parents’ blessing. John, however, did not have quite the same parental support. Family members like to repeat the anecdote that when John announced that he, too, wished to become an artist, he was told very firmly that one artist in the family was quite enough. He would need to find another profession in which to make his way in the world.
Contact
- Crockergraphics, Inc.
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- Needham MA
- United States 02494
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- +1.7814447020
