Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889-1975) was an artist , muralist ,painter, printmaker. Young Benton spend his young ages in Washington, he left the school at seventeen and started working as a drawer for newspaper. Next Benton studied art in Chicago in 1907 then after year he moved to Paris to study in Academie Julian. There he started synchromist style of abstract painting experiments with Stanton Macdonald-Wright. In short time Benton met his future wife at the Chelsea Neighborhood Association.
Benton artworks were modernistic and abstract until to early 20 XX century, then in 1924 he went to Missouri to his sick father, this circumstance influence to finished with modernistic style and instead of this focus to American themes like cotton fields , coal mines, logging cams. In 1934 his self portrait was featured and become cover of Time magazine this circumstances make him famous. Then he was teacher in Art Studies League in New York where Jackson Pollock was one of his students. In 1935 Benton teaching at Art Institute, in 1936 he finished his famous oil painting “Susanna and the Elders 1938 ,Dine Arts Museum of San Francisco) and Persephone (1938-1939 in Nelson-Atkinson Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO) ,and July Hay 1943, The Metropolian Museum of Art). Moving on he was kicked off from Art Institue in 1941. After II WW he paintings many murals. (Torchia, 2017)
I looked at Benton artworks and I want to use his paintings as inspiration, especially his technique of making colours paintings, the first artwork I would like to discuss is Hollywood painted in 1938
Benton ,.T Hollywood 1937-1938
This artwork is useful and related to my project becouse I would like to make my colours like Benton, another reason is that he creating in same time where I want to create my images. Painting is Colourfull with smooth shadings and the painting telling a story which I want to include in my future paintings. I want to tell a story as him. Looking to the story of Benton artwork I found information in what i which cumstances it was created. Hollywood was created by Benton when he went to Tinseltown in summer 1937. Composition connects few aspects of making movie. The background is related to Old Chicago musical about big fire. (Smartify, 2024) many things on one paintings. I want to move on to another paintings to learn as many as possible techniques and methods as my inspiration for my project.
Doing my reasearch I found mural painted by Benton which is exactly what I need as inspiration, as in work above, colours and shading are in style exactly which I want to use. I never paint in style like that but i want to learn it. As McQuillen, 2017) states when someone walking in to the room staying a front of biggest panel of America Today. Although paintings are familiar and very simple , there are happenings many things.
Thomas Hart Benton’s America Today 1930-1931
I want many elements in my composition and make it looks clearly as Benton did.
Another artwork of Benton is lithograph I know is better to look at paintings ,drawings etc. But this one is black and white depicting train and people exactly is what I want as inspiration. The lithograph is titled Jessie James made by Benton in 1936
Benton ,.T Jessie James (lithograph) 1936
Jessie James Legend is one of the several stories which Benton chose to show in his project in Capitol building in Missouri’s. In that scene western Benton wants connects a lot of circumstances in one composition. Jessie James have roots in real stories which is one of famous legends (Emuseum.com, 2021).
Next Benton work was made by ink, watercolor, gouache and graphite on paper. I thought I already have enough information about his technique but after extra research I found this artwork which is more closely to me. After some consideration I thinking I could use this style as inspiration to my project too.
Benton .,T Thursday Night at the Cock-and-Bull. It’s the Maid’s Night Out , 1937
Benton ,.T Loading Cotton Onto the Tennessee Belle, 1928
I still have to watch a video of Benton, I will write a reflection after that.
Benton’s works makes impression on me, especially his technique of shading, colour palette and the number of details on his artworks. This is exactly where I going to look.
Reference:
Torchia, R. (2017). The Official Website for Thomas Hart Benton. [online] Thomas Hart Benton. Available at: https://www.thomashartbenton.com/ [Accessed 22 Apr. 2025].
Smartify. (2024). Smartify | Hollywood. [online] Available at: https://app.smartify.org/en-GB/objects/thomas-hart-benton-hollywood [Accessed 22 Apr. 2025].
McQuillen, C. (2017). Thomas Hart Benton’s America Today: A Cross-Curricular Lesson Plan. [online] charlesmcquillen.com. Available at: https://charlesmcquillen.com/thomas-hart-benton-america-today-english-language-arts-lesson-plan/ [Accessed 22 Apr. 2025].
Emuseum.com. (2021). Jesse James. [online] Available at: https://reynoldahouse.emuseum.com/objects/71/jesse-james [Accessed 22 Apr. 2025].
Firstly, its Thomas HART Benton.
ReplyDeleteSome really detailed research here, a big improvement on last terms research posts! You have also included some reflection on how this will help the development of your ideas - make sure you make this clear in your follow up posts - its a good idea to call back on research in later posts to show how you are using the research.