Evening star., 1945-06-24

Through the generosity of the late
DR.. Hugh Williams, surgeon, of Bos-
ton, the Library of Congress has
come into the possession of COM
prehensive and valuable collection
of prints drawings and paintings
by Frank w. Benson of Salem, Mass,
declared by Malcolm C. Salaman,
connoisseur and author, in 1925, to
be the most original and virile of
living American etcherS."
Happily, Mr.. Benson is still living
and, although less productive than
when these words were written, no
less concerned with art and the up
holding of the highest ideals now
than then.
Mr.. Benson was born in Salem,
Mass, in 1862, and there still has
his home. How much influence the
beauty and charm of that fine old
New England city, with its excellent
architecture, broad lined streets
and engaging water front, may have
2loo IpO1i lllIll 40 a Ivy Sdll
only be surmised, but in all prob
ability it was considerable Ger
tainly, he grew up with deep love
of the beauty that, out-of doors,
surrounded him, and a sincere de-
sire to make it manifest to Others
At the age of 18, having completed
the regular course in the Salem
High School, Mr.. Benson began his
study Of art in the School of Draw
ing and Painting of the Boston Mu-
scum of Fine Arts under Frederic
Crowninshield, later to become di-
rector of the American Academy at
Rome. There his associates were
Edmund C. Tarbel, Joseph Lindon
Smith, Philip Little, Robert Reid
and others destined to create the
Boston School" which, in actual
accomplishment, later set a high
mark on the pages of art in America
"Life in New ENGLAND"
With his Boston colleagues, espe-
cially Tarbell, Smith and Reid, he
went abroad established himself in
Paris and learned all he could from
such stalwart artists as Boulanger
and LIE Febvre, as well as from those
who were at the same time bringing
"lmpressionism" into vogue Strange
ly enough, none of these men be-
came impressionists. Accepting the
good, they rejected the ephemeral
and followed paths of their own
making. Both Mr.. Benson and Mr.
Tarbell learned to paint sunlight out
of doors, sunlight of dazzling bril-
hancy, but without committing
themselves to the pointellists pat
tern. Of all the group that made
up the Boston School," Mr.. Benson
was the most intent upon picturing
New England and it's people as he
saw it and them He and his
friends, Tarbell and Little (not to
name all, painted pictures of life
in New England representative of
American ideals and convictions.
Mr.. Benson made his first etch-
1ng-a view of Salem Harbor-in
1882, the year he graduated from
the Salem High School, and as
frontlspiece for the Art Student, a
Museum of Fine Arts School pub
lication. With the exception of four
or five experimental plates, he did
not eth again for 30 years, because
OF absorption in the art of painting,
in which he attained swift and graf
flying success. When. in 1912, he
again took up the etcher's needle,
1t was chiefly for the purpose of
portraiture
AS boy and man, Mr. Benson has
always loved the outdoor world, es-
pecially that of New England-its
harbors, its rivers running into the
sea, its rock-bound coast, its marshes
lastly, but not least, its simple
people, who shared his admiration
Tor natures beauty and for the wild
life OF forests and shores In some
instances he etched the same sub
Jects that he painted-or vice versa
but soon he came to realize the
potentialities of the etching needle
and to use it independently and well,
not merely to set down what he
saw, but felt. 1t is this which gives
Mr.. Benson's prints distinction all
their own.
Work Almost Magical
The artistic quality of his etch-
ings and dry points manifests itself
without need of remark. Invariably
his compositions are well balanced
and effective, and his use of line,
with all it infers, is almost magical.
He has keen seeing eye but his
birds and wild fowls give catch to
ones breath because of their light