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Children in Woods

1905
Not on view
Benson began to experiment with plein-air painting in the late 1890s, often depicting his own children out of doors. This canvas portrays his three daughters near the family’s summer retreat at North Haven, Maine. Eleanor, the eldest, recalled: “When we were in North Haven, Papa would often have us put on our best white dresses and then ask us to sit in the grass or play in the woods. We thought it was silly and the maids made such a fuss when they saw our clothes afterwards.” Benson permitted his children to read or play cards while posing but disguised these diversions in his final compositions.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Children in Woods
  • Artist: Frank W. Benson (American, Salem, Massachusetts 1862–1951 Salem, Massachusetts)
  • Date: 1905
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 32 x 30 in. (81.3 x 76.2 cm)
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Miss Adelaide Milton de Groot (1876-1967), 1967
  • Object Number: 67.187.210
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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Redheads Coming, Frank W. Benson American, Etching and drypoint
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Mates, Frank W. Benson American, Etching
Mates
Frank W. Benson
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Ducks Alighting, Frank W. Benson American, Etching
Ducks Alighting
Frank W. Benson
1921
Dark Pool, Frank W. Benson American, Drypoint on zinc; published state
Dark Pool
Frank W. Benson
1920

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