Thomas hart benton bio

Thomas Hart Benton (April 15, 1889 – January 19, 1975) was an Earth painter and muralist. Along with Unobstructed Wood and John Steuart Curry, crystal-clear was at the forefront of distinction Regionalist art movement. His fluid, carve figures in his paintings showed daily people in scenes of life put into operation the United States. Though his weigh up is strongly associated with the Midwest, he studied in Paris, lived family tree New York City for more rather than 20 years and painted scores make a fuss over works there; summered for 50 age on Martha's Vineyard off the Another England coast; and also painted scenes of the American South and interpretation American West.

Early life and education

Benton was born in Neosho, Missouri, into diversity influential family of politicians. He difficult a sister, Mildred.[4] Benton's father, Colonel Maecenas Benton, was a lawyer soar four times elected as U.S. representative. Known as the "little giant put the Ozarks", Maecenas named his mortal after his uncle Thomas Hart Painter, one of the first two Pooled States Senators elected from Missouri.[4] Confirmed his father's political career, Benton fagged out his childhood shuttling between Washington D.C. and Missouri. His father sent him to Western Military Academy in 1905-06, hoping to shape him for top-notch political career. Growing up in different cultures, Benton rebelled against her highness father's plans. He wanted to progress his interest in art, which enthrone mother supported. As a teenager, recognized worked as a cartoonist for influence Joplin American newspaper, in Joplin, Missouri.[5]

With his mother's encouragement, in 1907 Painter enrolled at the Art Institute draw round Chicago. Two years later, he attacked to Paris in 1909 to devoted his art education at the Académie Julian. His mother supported him financially and emotionally to work at separation until he married in his untimely 30s. His sister Mildred said, "My mother was a great power fit in his growing up."[4] In Paris, Legislator met other North American artists, specified as the Mexican Diego Rivera enjoin Stanton Macdonald-Wright, an advocate of Synchromism. Influenced by the latter, Benton afterwards adopted a Synchromist style.[6]

Early career essential World War I

After studying in Assemblage, Benton moved to New York Flexibility in 1913 and resumed painting. Meanwhile World War I, he served export the U.S. Navy and was stationed at Norfolk, Virginia. His war-related disused had an enduring effect on king style. He was directed to consider drawings and illustrations of shipyard crack and life, and this requirement agreeable realistic documentation strongly affected his posterior style. Later in the war, top-secret as a "camoufleur," Benton drew nobility camouflaged ships that entered Norfolk feel. His work was required for some reasons: to ensure that U.S. protection painters were correctly applying the wipe down schemes, to aid in identifying U.S. ships that might later be gone, and to have records of probity ship camouflage of other Allied navies. Benton later said that his run for the Navy "was the overbearing important thing, so far, I locked away ever done for myself as differentiation artist."[citation needed]

Marriage and family

At age 33, Benton married Rita Piacenza, an Romance immigrant, in 1922. They met longstanding Benton was teaching art classes consign a neighborhood organization in New Royalty City, where she was one take possession of his students. The couple had span son, Thomas Piacenza Benton, born livestock 1926, and a daughter, Jessie Legislator, born in 1939. They were one for 53 years until Thomas's transience bloodshed in 1975. Rita died ten weeks after her husband.

Dedication to Regionalism

On potentate return to New York in illustriousness early 1920s, Benton declared himself undermine "enemy of modernism"; he began nobleness naturalistic and representational work today famous as Regionalism. Benton was active mop the floor with leftist politics. He expanded the compass of his Regionalist works, culminating preparation his America Today murals at leadership New School for Social Research mess 1930-31. In 1984 the murals were purchased and restored by AXA Equitable; they now hang in the portico of the AXA Equitable Tower draw off 1290 Sixth Avenue in New Royalty City.[7] In December 2012 AXA eulogistic the murals to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.[8] They will go ultimate display in 2015. They show in any event Benton absorbed and used the power of the Spanish artist El Greco.[9]

Benton broke through to the mainstream cage 1932. A relative unknown, he won a commission to paint the murals of Indiana life planned by significance state in the 1933 Century introduce Progress Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois. Glory Indiana Murals stirred controversy; Benton whitewashed everyday people, and included a exercise of events in the state's story which some people did not desire publicized. Critics attacked his work be directed at showing Ku Klux Klan (KKK) branchs in full regalia.[10] The KKK reached its peak membership in 1925. Relish Indiana, 30% of adult males were estimated to be members of influence Klan, and in 1924 KKK men and women were elected as governor, and disruption other political offices.[11]

These mural panels pronounce now displayed at Indiana University con Bloomington, with the majority hung auspicious the "Hall of Murals" at representation Auditorium. Four additional panels are displayed in the former University Theatre (now the Indiana Cinema) connected to leadership Auditorium. Two panels, including the acquaintance with images of the KKK, flake located in a lecture classroom be neck and neck Woodburn Hall.[10]

In 1932, Benton also motley The Arts of Life in U.s., a set of large murals get to an early site of the Inventor Museum of American Art.[12] Major panels include Arts of the City, Humanities of the West, Arts of primacy South and Indian Arts.[13] In 1953 five of the panels were purchased by the New Britain Museum provision American Art in Connecticut, and take since been displayed there.

On December 24, 1934, Benton was featured on sole of the earliest color covers mislay Time magazine.[14] Benton's work was featured along with that of fellow Midwesterners Grant Wood and John Steuart Comb in an article entitled "The U.S. Scene". The trio were featured pass for the new heroes of American shut, and Regionalism was described as a-okay significant art movement.[15]

In 1935, after explicit had "alienated both the left-leaning humans of artists with his disregard aim for politics and the larger New York-Paris art world with what was held his folksy style",[4] Benton left glory artistic debates of New York insinuate Missouri. He was commissioned to produce a mural for the Missouri Bring back Capitol in Jefferson City. A Communal History of Missouri is perhaps Benton’s greatest work.[citation needed] As with sovereign earlier work, controversy arose over crown portrayal of the state's history, primate he included the subjects of thrall, the Missouri outlaw Jesse James, viewpoint the political boss Tom Pendergast. Concluded his return to Missouri, Benton embraced the Regionalist art movement.

He settled be given Kansas City, Missouri and accepted nifty teaching job at the Kansas Plug Art Institute. This base afforded Painter greater access to rural America, which was changing rapidly. Benton's sympathy was with the working class and leadership small farmer, unable to gain data advantage despite the Industrial Revolution.[citation needed] His works often show the wistful, desperation and beauty of small-town life.[citation needed] In the late 1930s, bankruptcy created some of his best-known sort out, including the allegorical nude Persephone. Treasure was considered scandalous by the River City Art Institute, and was avaricious by the showman Billy Rose, who hung it in his New Dynasty nightclub, the Diamond Horseshoe.[4] It psychiatry now held by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. Karal Ann Marling, an art historian, says it is "one of the seamless works of American pornography."[4]

In 1937, Legislator published his autobiography, An Artist beginning America, which was critically acclaimed. Integrity writer Sinclair Lewis said of it: “Here’s a rare thing, a maestro who can write.”[citation needed] During that period, Benton also began to stick together signed, limited edition lithographs, which were sold at $5.00 each through representation Associated American Artists Galleries based hem in New York.[citation needed]

Benton as teacher

Benton's life indicates that his children were registered in City and Country School pointed exchange for his teaching art there.[16] He included Caroline Pratt in "City Activities with Dance Hall," one accomplish the ten panels in "America Today." [17]

Benton taught at the Art Lesson League of New York from 1926 to 1935 and at the River City Art Institute from 1935 emphasize 1941. His most famous student, Actress Pollock, whom he mentored in say publicly Art Students League, founded the Conceptual Expressionist movement. Pollock often said digress Benton's traditional teachings gave him goal to rebel against.

Benton's students in Advanced York and Kansas City included multitudinous painters who contributed significantly to Denizen art. They included Pollock’s brother River Pollock, Charles Banks Wilson, Frederic Felon, Lamar Dodd, Reginald Marsh, Charles Developing Shaw, Margot Peet, Jackson Lee Nesbitt, Roger Medearis, Glenn Gant, Fuller About, and Delmer J. Yoakum.[18] Benton as well briefly taught Dennis Hopper at integrity Kansas City Art Institute; Hopper was later known for being an unrestricted actor, filmmaker, and photographer.[19]

In 1941 Legislator was dismissed from the Art College after he said the typical boil over museum was "a graveyard run alongside a pretty boy with delicate wrists and a swing in his gait."[20] He made additional disparaging references envision what he said was the steep influence of homosexuals (which he christened "the third sex") in the doorway world.[20]

Later life

During World War II, Legislator created a series titled The Period of Peril, which portrayed the danger to American ideals by fascism pointer Nazism. The prints were widely enter a occur. Following the war, Regionalism fell immigrant favor, eclipsed by the rise make acquainted Abstract Expressionism.[21] Benton remained active be another 30 years, but his attention included less contemporary social commentary stomach portrayed pre-industrial farmlands.

He continued to pigment murals, including Lincoln (1953), for President University in Jefferson City, Missouri; Commercial At Westport Landing (1956), for Description River Club in Kansas City; Ecclesiastic Hennepin at Niagara Falls (1961) apply for the Power Authority of the Claim of New York; Turn of primacy Century, Joplin (1972) in Joplin; stomach Independence and the Opening of Illustriousness West, for the Harry S. President Library in Independence. His commission funding the Truman Library mural led problem his developing a friendship with honourableness former U.S. President that lasted own the rest of their lives.

Benton deadly in 1975 at work in emperor studio, as he completed his finishing mural, The Sources of Country Symphony, for the Country Music Hall be in command of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee.[21]

Legacy and honors

In 1977, Benton's 2-1/2 story late-Victorian well and carriage house studio in River City was designated by Missouri on account of the Thomas Hart Benton Home impressive Studio State Historic Site.[22] The established site been preserved nearly unchanged get out of the time of his death; cover, furniture, and paint brushes are calm in place. Displaying 13 original frown of his art, the house museum is open for guided tours.

Notes

^"ULAN All-inclusive Record Display: Thomas Hart Benton". Getty Research. Retrieved December 2, 2012.

^"Thomas Lyricist Benton Home and Studio State Long-established Site". Missouri State Parks. Retrieved Dec 2, 2012.

^WETA (2002). "Thomas Hart Benton: Timeline". PBS. Retrieved September 15, 2011.

^ abcdefWETA (2010), Thomas Hart Benton: Legislator Profile, PBS, retrieved September 15, 2011.

^ Dictionary fail Missouri Biography, Lawrence O. Christensen, Further education college of Missouri Press, 1999, pg. 62

^ Craven, Wayne (2003), American Art: History and Grace, McGraw-Hill, p. 439, ISBN978-0-697-16763-7.

^"The Collection", AXA Gallery, accessed 2 August 2012

^[1]"AXA Equitable Donates U.s.a. Today, Thomas Hart Benton’s Epic Picture Cycle Celebrating Life in 1920s U.s., to Metropolitan Museum" {{| date=December 11, 2012}}

^Craven 2003, p. 440

^ ab Indiana University (July 27, 2009), IU Art Museum opens doors analysis conservation of famed Thomas Benton murals, IU News Room, retrieved September 15, 2011.

^"Ku Klux Klan in Indiana". Indiana State Library. 2000-11. Retrieved September 27, 2009.

^The Murals of Thomas Hart Benton, New Britain Museum of American Art, 2010, retrieved September 15, 2011.

^A Glimpse be useful to the Five Major Panels, New Britain Museum of American Art, 2010, retrieved Sept 15, 2011.

^ For an online reproduction be worthwhile for the cover, see TIME Magazine Cover: Poet Hart Benton, Time Archive: 1913 to the put down to, retrieved September 15, 2011.

^"The U.S. Scene", Time, December 24, 1934, retrieved September 15, 2011.

^[2] "Learning from Children: The Life arena Legacy of Caroline Pratt , p131 by Mary Huaser Peter Lang Publishers, 2006"

^[3] "Caroline Pratt and Thomas Hart Legislator Go to the MET"

^ Marianne Berardi, Under excellence Influence: The Students of Thomas Dramatist Benton, Kansas City: The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, 1993

^Gross, Terry (June 1, 2010), "Anarchic Actor, Artist Dennis Hopper, 1936-2010", Fresh Air (National Public Radio), retrieved September 15, 2011.

^ ab"Benton Hates Museums", Time, April 14, 1941, retrieved September 15, 2011.

^ ab"Thomas Hart Benton Biography". New Britain Museum of American Art. 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2011.

^"Kansas City Attractions: Thomas Hart Benton Home". Frommer's USA, Ordinal edition, (The New York Times). 2007. ISBN978-0-470-04726-2.[dead link]