I ♥ Thomas Hart Benton

Since it’s Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d share with you an artist I love….Thomas Hart Benton. If you are not familiar with his work, his paintings are defined by swirling landscapes and seemingly sculpted figures. He was alive from 1889-1975 and spent much of his career in New York City, though his paintings are typically associated with the Midwest, where he was born. Benton was a dedicated Regionalist painter, a group of artists that included Grant Wood, who rebelled against modernism in support of a more naturalistic and representational approach to painting, depicting traditional American scenes. One interesting fact about Benton is that he taught Jackson Polluck, who was known to credit Benton for his founding of abstract expressionism, claiming that Benton provided him with something to rebel against, considering Benton’s teaching was much more traditional. What I love about Benton’s paintings are their dreamlike quality, grounded in a time period that reflects American romanticism. The Blanton Museum in Austin has one of Benton’s paintings titled, “Romance” that I could never tire of looking at. The subtle brush strokes, vivid color, and skillfully modeled figures give the painting a sense of liveliness, still vibrating as though it were painted yesterday.

Thomas Hart Benton, “Romance,” 1932

Thomas Hart Benton, “Prodigal Son,” 1939

Thomas Hart Benton, “Lewis and Clark at Eagle Creek,” 1967