Rare Frank Weston Benson (1862-1951) American, Oil on Canvas "The White Heron". Depicting a heron surrounded by lily pads amid a lush landscape illuminated by dappled light. Signed and dated 1924 in the lower left. Housed in a unique carved frame believed to be associated with Charles Prendergast.
This painting has all the provenance a collector or museum is looking for!
According to archival documentation held by the Phillips Library Peabody Essex Museum, The White Heron was exhibited in 1925 at the Guild of Boston Artists, Carson Pirie & Scott in Chicago, and the Hotel Hawthorne in Salem. In 1926, the work was exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery, the Toledo Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and then Macbeth Galleries in New York in 1927.
The painting was subsequently purchased at Macbeth Galleries on February 28th, 1927 for $5,000 by Thomas Cochran, financier and partner of J.P. Morgan. Following Cochran's ownership, the painting entered the Bliss family collection. After the death of his wife and daughter in 1914, Cochran became closely connected with Cornelius Newton Bliss Jr. and wife Zaidee Cobb Bliss. Through Cornelius Bliss, Cochran also became acquainted with his sister, Lillie P. Bliss, one of the leading American art collectors and patrons of the early twentieth century. Whether through Lillie, Cornelius, or Zaidee, the painting's history places it within a remarkable circle of American art collectors whose activities helped shape several major American art collections.
Link to Additional Images and Information
Documentation images in order.
- Phillips Library - Box 12 Folder 6 - Frank Weston Benson Business Papers - Record of Works Book - The White Heron - 1
- Phillips Library - Box 12 Folder 6 - Frank Weston Benson Business Papers - Record of Works Book - The White Heron - 2
- Phillips Library - Box 12 Folder 4 - Receipt Book of Professional Income 1919-1932 - The White Heron - Thomas Cochran
- Phillips Library - Potentially Box 7 Folder 5 - Photograph Album - Photographs of Original Works with Some Identification of subject - The White Heron
- 1926 - Corcoran Gallery of Art 'Tenth Exhibition of Contemporary American Oil Paintings , April 4- May 16 1926 - Gallery D on 2nd Floor - Page 44
- 1926 - Art Institute of Chicago 'The Thirty-Ninth Annual Exhibition of American Paintings and Sculptures October 28 - December 12 - PAGE 31
- 1927 - Macbeth Gallery - Recent Paintings by Frank W Benson Solo Exhibition - Feb 1-14 1927 - Page 3
- 1925 - Hawthorne Hotel - 18 Washington Square West Salem, MA - circa 1925 - Citation...Hawthorne Hotel Collection, Salem State University Archives and Special Collections, Salem, Massachusetts
Sources from the Phillips Library Peabody Essex Museum, Frank Weston Benson Papers, 1864-1976, undated.
Record of works, 1920-1925, E. , Box: 12, Folder: 6. Frank Weston Benson Papers, 1864-1976, undated, MSS 324. Phillips Library .
Account book [1 volume], 1919-1932, E. , Box: 12, Folder: 4. Frank Weston Benson Papers, 1864-1976, undated, MSS 324. Phillips Library .
Photo reproductions of works, undated, C. , Box: 7, Folder: 5. Frank Weston Benson Papers, 1864-1976, undated, MSS 324. Phillips Library .
Overall Size: 45 1/4 x 56 1/2 in.
Sight Size: 44 x 36 in.
Frank Weston Benson (1862–1951) was an American Impressionist painter and printmaker best known for his elegant portraits, outdoor scenes, and depictions of women and children. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Benson studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and later in Paris, where he was influenced by academic and Impressionist traditions. He became a prominent member of the “Ten American Painters” and is also celebrated for his masterful etchings and watercolors.
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