Benton Spruance

Design for America #2

1935

Benton Spruance (1904 – 1967) was an American painter, printmaker and architect from Philadelphia. As a printmaker, Spruance was known for his innovations in color lithography with series of works relating to mythological and religious themes, as well as portraiture. He was much more than a distinguished artist of national renown. His career focused in a large part upon service to the art community, not only in Philadelphia, but throughout the nation as well, and much of his importance lies in all that he was able to accomplish for his fellow artists. He had a keen sense of the place of the artist in the life of the community, and as a founder of the Philadelphia chapter of Artists Equity, he helped to give to the individual artist a strong voice in community affairs. His prints, taken in chronological sequence, constitute a unique record of his times, his world, and his experience. But above all he emerges clearly as a warm, compassionate human being.