The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (49 page)
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Benton , Thomas Hart
(1889–1975).
American painter, the great-nephew of a famous American statesman of the same name. He studied at the
Académie
Julian , 1908–11, and in Paris became a friend of the
Synchromist Stanton
Macdonald-Wright
. After his return to the USA (he settled in New York in 1912) he continued painting in the Synchromist manner for some years, but having failed to win success working in an avant-garde style, he abandoned modernism around 1920 and gained fame as one of the leading exponents of
Regionalism
. His style became richly coloured and vigorous, with restlessly energetic rhythms and rather flat, sometimes almost cartoonish figures. His work included several murals, notably scenes of American life (1930–1) at the New School for Social Research in New York. In 1935 he left New York to become director of the City Art Institute and School of Design in Kansas City, Missouri, and he lived in that city for the rest of his life. When Regionalism declined in popularity in the 1940s Benton turned more to depicting scenes from American history, and some of his later work introduced American types into representations of Greek myths or biblical stories. Benton wrote two autobiographies,
An Artist in America
(1937) and
An American in Art
(1969). A passage from the second shows how completely he turned his back on the modernism he had espoused in his youth: ‘Modern art became, especially in its American derivations, a simple smearing and pouring of material, good for nothing but to release neurotic tensions. Here finally it became like a bowel movement or a vomiting spell.’ In view of these words, it is ironic that Benton was influential on Jackson
Pollock
, whom he taught at the
Art Students League of New York
in the early 1930s.
American painter, the great-nephew of a famous American statesman of the same name. He studied at the
Académie
Julian , 1908–11, and in Paris became a friend of the
Synchromist Stanton
Macdonald-Wright
. After his return to the USA (he settled in New York in 1912) he continued painting in the Synchromist manner for some years, but having failed to win success working in an avant-garde style, he abandoned modernism around 1920 and gained fame as one of the leading exponents of
Regionalism
. His style became richly coloured and vigorous, with restlessly energetic rhythms and rather flat, sometimes almost cartoonish figures. His work included several murals, notably scenes of American life (1930–1) at the New School for Social Research in New York. In 1935 he left New York to become director of the City Art Institute and School of Design in Kansas City, Missouri, and he lived in that city for the rest of his life. When Regionalism declined in popularity in the 1940s Benton turned more to depicting scenes from American history, and some of his later work introduced American types into representations of Greek myths or biblical stories. Benton wrote two autobiographies,
An Artist in America
(1937) and
An American in Art
(1969). A passage from the second shows how completely he turned his back on the modernism he had espoused in his youth: ‘Modern art became, especially in its American derivations, a simple smearing and pouring of material, good for nothing but to release neurotic tensions. Here finally it became like a bowel movement or a vomiting spell.’ In view of these words, it is ironic that Benton was influential on Jackson
Pollock
, whom he taught at the
Art Students League of New York
in the early 1930s.
Bentveughels
.
.
Berchem , Nicolaes
(1620–83).
Dutch painter of pastoral landscapes in the Italianate manner, principally active in Haarlem. Berchem was the son of the still-life painter Pieter
Claesz.
, and it is not known why he adopted a different surname. Claesz. was his first teacher, but although Berchem tried his hand at most subjects, no still lifes by him are known. He visited Italy in the 1640s and perhaps again in the 1650s and became, with Jan
Both
, the most highly regarded exponent of the Italianate landscape. Successful and well rewarded in his lifetime, he had numerous pupils and his influence on 18th-cent. English and French landscape painters was very considerable,
Gainsborough
and
Watteau
being among the artists who particularly admired his work. His prolific output is well represented in British galleries.
Dutch painter of pastoral landscapes in the Italianate manner, principally active in Haarlem. Berchem was the son of the still-life painter Pieter
Claesz.
, and it is not known why he adopted a different surname. Claesz. was his first teacher, but although Berchem tried his hand at most subjects, no still lifes by him are known. He visited Italy in the 1640s and perhaps again in the 1650s and became, with Jan
Both
, the most highly regarded exponent of the Italianate landscape. Successful and well rewarded in his lifetime, he had numerous pupils and his influence on 18th-cent. English and French landscape painters was very considerable,
Gainsborough
and
Watteau
being among the artists who particularly admired his work. His prolific output is well represented in British galleries.
Berckheyde , Gerrit Adriaensz
.
.
(1638–98).
Dutch painter of architectural views, active in Haarlem (his native city), Amsterdam, and The Hague. His representations of those cities have documentary accuracy, but they are never dry, achieving a poetic harmony by a subtle use of light and shade (three of his views of Haarlem are in the NG, London). The work of Gerrit's elder brother,
Job Adriaensz
. (1630–93), is very similar; it is also rarer and more varied, including
genre
and biblical scenes.
Dutch painter of architectural views, active in Haarlem (his native city), Amsterdam, and The Hague. His representations of those cities have documentary accuracy, but they are never dry, achieving a poetic harmony by a subtle use of light and shade (three of his views of Haarlem are in the NG, London). The work of Gerrit's elder brother,
Job Adriaensz
. (1630–93), is very similar; it is also rarer and more varied, including
genre
and biblical scenes.
Berenson , Bernard
(1865–1959).
American art historian, critic, and connoisseur. He was born in Lithuania and educated in Boston and at Harvard University (his family emigrated to the USA when he was 10), but he spent most of his long life in Italy, first visiting the country in 1888 and settling permanently near Florence in 1899. He built up a formidable reputation as an authority on Italian
Renaissance
painting and was associated with several prominent dealers and collectors, notably Lord
Duveen
and Isabella Stewart
Gardner
, advising them on purchases. The fortune he earned in the picture trade has caused his impartiality to be questioned, and many of his attributions have been downgraded, but his lists of the work of Renaissance painters formed a basis for further work for many years. His most enduring work of scholarship is
The Drawings of the Florentine Painters
(1903, 2nd edn. 1938. 3rd edn.—in Italian—1961). He amassed a huge library of books and photographs and a fine art collection at his villa, I Tatti, at Settignano near Florence, which he left to Harvard University. In 1961 it opened as the Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies. Dapper and polylingual, Berenson often played host to visiting art historians and intellectuals at I Tatti and was a renowned conversationalist, diarist, and bon vivant. See also
TACTILE VALUES
.
American art historian, critic, and connoisseur. He was born in Lithuania and educated in Boston and at Harvard University (his family emigrated to the USA when he was 10), but he spent most of his long life in Italy, first visiting the country in 1888 and settling permanently near Florence in 1899. He built up a formidable reputation as an authority on Italian
Renaissance
painting and was associated with several prominent dealers and collectors, notably Lord
Duveen
and Isabella Stewart
Gardner
, advising them on purchases. The fortune he earned in the picture trade has caused his impartiality to be questioned, and many of his attributions have been downgraded, but his lists of the work of Renaissance painters formed a basis for further work for many years. His most enduring work of scholarship is
The Drawings of the Florentine Painters
(1903, 2nd edn. 1938. 3rd edn.—in Italian—1961). He amassed a huge library of books and photographs and a fine art collection at his villa, I Tatti, at Settignano near Florence, which he left to Harvard University. In 1961 it opened as the Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies. Dapper and polylingual, Berenson often played host to visiting art historians and intellectuals at I Tatti and was a renowned conversationalist, diarist, and bon vivant. See also
TACTILE VALUES
.
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