1 of 5
Thomas Hart BentonAaron, American Social Realist Lithograph1941
1941
$5,000List Price
About the Item
- Creator:Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975, American)
- Creation Year:1941
- Dimensions:Height: 12.9 in (32.77 cm)Width: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Saint Augustine, FL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU136328414472
Thomas Hart Benton
Thomas Hart Benton was born in Neosho, Missouri on April 15, 1889. Even as a boy, he was no stranger to the "art of the deal" or to the smoke-filled rooms in which such deals were often consummated. His grandfather had been Missouri's first United States Senator and served in Washington for thirty years. His father, Maecenas Benton, was United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri under Cleveland and served in the United States House of Representatives during the McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt administrations. Benton's brother, Nat, was prosecutor for Greene County, Missouri, during the 1930s. As soon as he could walk, Benton traveled with his father on political tours. There he learned the arts of chewing and smoking, and while the men were involved in their heated discussions, Benton delighted in finding new cream colored wallpaper on the staircase wall, at the age of six or seven, and drew in charcoal his first mural, a long multi-car freight train. As soon as he was eighteen, even though his father wanted him to study law, Benton left for Chicago where he studied at the Art Institute during the years 1907 and 1908. He continued his studies in Paris, where he learned delicious wickedness, aesthetic and otherwise. Once back home, he became the leader of the Regionalist School, the most theatrical and gifted of the 1930s muralists and as Harry Truman described him,"the best damned painter in America." Detractors said that Benton was "a fascist, a communist, a racist and a bigot"; the ingenious structure, powerful use of modeling and scale and the high-colored humanity of the murals and easel paintings are retort enough. He was a dark, active dynamo, only 5 ft., 3 1/2 in. tall. He was outspoken, open, charmingly profane; he had a great mane of hair and a face the texture of oak bark. He wore rumpled corduroy and flannel, and walked with the unsteady swagger of a sailor just ashore. He poured a salwart drink, chewed on small black cigars and spat in the fire. Benton was once described as the "churlish dean of regionalist art." If you listened to a variety of art authorities, you would find them equally divided between Harry Truman's assessment of Benton as "the best damned painter in America" and Hilton Kramer who proclaimed Benton "a failed artist." The East Coast art establishment tended to regard Benton as memorable for one reason only: he was the teacher of Jackson Pollock. Benton was married in 1922 to Rita, a gregarious Italian lady, and they had a daughter and a son. At the height of his fame in the 1940s, Benton bungled the buy-out he was offered by Walt Disney and went his own way, completing his last mural in 1975 in acrylics the year of his death. He died in 1975.
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.You May Also Like
STANDING SEAMSTRESS, Signed Lithograph Female Portrait Sewing Machine Dress Form
By Raphael Soyer
Located in Union City, NJ
STANDING SEAMSTRESS is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Painter, 18...
Category
1970s Realist Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
AFTER THE BATH Signed Lithograph, Pencil Drawing Nude Portrait, Woman Dressing
By Raphael Soyer
Located in Union City, NJ
AFTER THE BATH is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Painter, 1899-19...
Category
1970s Realist Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
YOUNG WOMAN PINK BLOUSE Signed Lithograph, Portrait Drawing, Social Realism
By Raphael Soyer
Located in Union City, NJ
YOUNG WOMAN PINK BLOUSE is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/Amer...
Category
1970s Realist Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
NURSING MOTHER SEATED Signed Lithograph, Portrait Drawing, Baby Breastfeeding
By Raphael Soyer
Located in Union City, NJ
NURSING MOTHER SEATED is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/Ame...
Category
1970s Realist Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
SEATED WOMAN ON BED, KNEE SOCKS Signed Lithograph, Female Portrait Drawing
By Raphael Soyer
Located in Union City, NJ
SEATED WOMAN ON BED, KNEE SOCKS is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism...
Category
1970s Realist Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Raphael Soyer Self-Portrait, Signed Lithograph, Man in Hat, Gray Jacket, Realism
By Raphael Soyer
Located in Union City, NJ
Raphael Soyer Self-Portrait is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Pai...
Category
1970s Realist Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
SEATED WOMAN NEAR A BED Signed Lithograph, Seated Female Portrait Interior Scene
By Raphael Soyer
Located in Union City, NJ
SEATED WOMAN NEAR A BED is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Painter...
Category
1970s Realist Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
WOMAN LONG DARK HAIR Signed Lithograph, Female Portrait, V-Neck Top, Realism
By Raphael Soyer
Located in Union City, NJ
WOMAN LONG DARK HAIR is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism...
Category
1970s Realist Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
$376 Sale Price
31% Off
H 30 in W 22 in
WOMAN LONG DARK HAIR Signed Lithograph, Serious Young Woman, Pink V-Neck
By Raphael Soyer
Located in Union City, NJ
WOMAN LONG DARK HAIR is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism Painter, 1...
Category
1970s Realist Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
$392 Sale Price
34% Off
H 30 in W 22 in
YOUNG WOMAN, STRIPED TEE SHIRT Signed Lithograph, Realist Portrait, Rust, Peach
By Raphael Soyer
Located in Union City, NJ
YOUNG WOMAN, STRIPED TEE SHIRT is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael Soyer - Russian/American Social Realism ...
Category
1970s Realist Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
$432 Sale Price
37% Off
H 29 in W 21.5 in