Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
American, 1904-1967
A pioneer in color lithography, Benton Spruance spent most of his life in Philadelphia, where he attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and became one of the city’s leading artists. In the twenties and thirties Spruance was known for prints that one critic described as his “velvety urban scenes and ‘social conscious’ series,” which chronicled the life of ordinary men and women at work and play. However, Spruance was also a painter and draftsman who during this period took advantage of two Guggenheim fellowships to travel throughout the United States and Europe and sketch landscapes.
In the forties Spruance began producing moody, psychologically charged lithographic portraits of women, followed by mystically tinged work, based on biblical passages, that became increasingly subtle and sculptural in effect. Despite the demand for his work (he produced more than 500 lithographs during his career), Spruance continued to teach. At the time of his death, he was chairman of the art department at Beaver College and had recently retired from the chairmanship of the printmaking department at Philadelphia College of Art.to
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Artist: Benton Murdoch Spruance
'Eyes for the Night' — Mid-century Surrealism
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Benton Spruance, 'Eyes for the Night', lithograph, 1947, edition 35, Fine and Looney 260. Signed, dated, titled, and annotated 'Ed 35' in pencil. A fine impression, on heavy, cream ...
Category
1940s American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
'Girl with Hands to Face' — Mid-century Modernism
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Benton Spruance, 'Girl with Hands to Face', two-color lithograph, 1940, edition 30, Fine and Looney 180. Signed, titled, and annotated 'Ed. 30' in pencil. A superb impression, on cr...
Category
1940s American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
Cat and Busybody
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Middletown, NY
A 1933 lithograph on cream wove paper 14 x 18 inches (354 x 452mm), full margins. Signed, titled, and numbered 17/33 in pencil, lower margin. Minor mat tone around the perimeter of t...
Category
1930s American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
Nero
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
2-color lithograph, edition 35, 1944, Fine and Looney 233. Signed, dated, titled and annotated 'Ed 35' in pencil. Initialed 'BS' in the image, lower right. A superb, richly inked im...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
'Girl and Cat' — 1930s Modernism
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
'Girl and Cat', lithograph, 1935, edition 33, Fine and Looney 121. Signed, titled, dated, and numbered '5/33' in pencil. A superb, richly-inked impression...
Category
1930s American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
“When I Laid the Earth’s Foundations”
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Southampton, NY
Strong and vibrant color lithograph by the American artist, Benton Murdoch Spruance. Edition of 30 penciled left bottom margin. Titled in pencil middle margin and signed in pencil lo...
Category
1950s Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Archival Paper, Lithograph
'I'll Be What I Choose' — Mid-century American Surrealism
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
'I'll Be What I Choose: Vanity of Ambition', color lithograph, 1949, edition 40, Fine and Looney 281. Signed, titled, and numbered '23/40' in pencil. Initialed in the stone, lower ri...
Category
1940s American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
'Broken Carousel' — Mid-Century American Symbolism
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
'Broken Carousel', color lithograph, 1950, edition 35, Fine and Looney 285. Signed, titled, and numbered '18/35' in pencil. Initialed in the stone, lower right. A fine, richly-inked ...
Category
1950s American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
From the Sea (From the Sea—Pieta)
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
A superb, richly inked impression, on off-white wove paper; the full sheet, with deckel all around (margins 1 to 2 inches) in excellent condition. Signed, dated, titled and annotated...
Category
1940s American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
'Havoc in Heaven' — Mid-Century Modernism
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Benton Spruance, 'Havoc in Heaven', lithograph, 1948, edition 30-35, Fine and Looney 270. Signed, titled, and numbered 'Ed 35' in pencil. Initialed in the stone, lower right. Printed...
Category
1940s American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
'The Lamentation' — Mid-century Modernism, WWII
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
'The Lamentation', lithograph, 1941, edition 35, Fine and Looney 198. Signed, titled, and annotated 'Ed 35' in pencil. Initialed in the stone, lower ri...
Category
1940s American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
Set Pieces: Vanity of Trust
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
'Set Pieces: Vanity of Trust', color lithograph, 1949, edition 40, Fine and Looney 279. Signed, titled, dated and numbered '23/40' in pencil. A fine, impression with fresh colors, on...
Category
1940s American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
Slack Rope Artist
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Benton Spruance, 'Slack Rope Artist', lithograph, 1930, edition 30, Fine and Looney 35. Signed and titled in pencil. Numbered '2' in the bottom right margin. A fine impression, with ...
Category
1930s American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
'Eyes for the Night' — Mid-century Modernism
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
'Eyes for the Night', color lithograph, 1948, edition 35, Fine and Looney 261. Signed, dated, and titled, and annotated 'Ed 35' in pencil. A fine impression with fresh colors, on cream wove paper; the full sheet with margins (1 to 1 3/8 inches), in excellent condition. Printed by master lithographer Theodore Cuno. Image size 19 x 13 inches; sheet size 21 1/8 x 15 1/4 inches. Archivally matted to museum standards, unframed.
Selected by the artist for his retrospective exhibition 'Benton Spruance: Lithographs...
Category
1940s American Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
“Salome and John”
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Southampton, NY
Strong and vibrant color lithograph by the American artist Benton Murdoch Spruance. Edition size in pencil lower left margin Titled in pencil middle margin and signed in pencil lower...
Category
1950s Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Archival Paper, Lithograph
“Judith”
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Southampton, NY
Strong and vibrant color lithograph by the American artist, Benton Murdoch Spruance. Edition size in pencil lower left margin 7/40. Titled in pencil middle margin and signed in penc...
Category
1950s Modern Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Archival Paper, Lithograph
SUBWAY SHIFT - THE SECOND FRONT
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Portland, ME
Spruance, Benton (American 1904-1967). SUBWAY SHIFT - THE SECOND FRONT. Fine and Looney 223. Lithograph, 1943. Fine and Looney cite two editions, one of 35 and one of 30, this being ...
Category
1940s Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph
Out of the City
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Benton Murdoch Spruance (1904-1967). Out of the City, 1930 (FL #33) Ed. 28. Lithograph on wove paper, plate measures 9.75 x 12.25 inches. Signed in pencil lower right. Titled and numbered 27/28 lower left. Sheet is not glued.
Biography:
Birth place: Philadelphia, PA
Death place: Phila.
Addresses: Germantown, PA; Phila.
Profession: Lithographer, painter, educator
Studied: Univ. Penn. School FA; PAFA with D. Garber (Cresson traveling scholarship); G. Harding; R. Nuse; A. Lhote in Paris.
Exhibited: many nat. print exhs., 1929-65; Phila. Pr. Club,1929 (prize), 1932 (prize), 1929 (prize), 1941, 1953, 1956; WC Ann., 1937 (prize); WMAA, 1933-45; AIC, 1937-38, 1941; PAFA Ann., 1939-53 (gold medal 1946); Corcoran Gal. biennial, 1941; Laguna Beach AA, 1943, 1944; Audubon Artists, 1947; LOC, 1948; Boston Printmakers, 1949; Phila. Art All., 1951; NAD, 1953, 1957, 1959; Am. Color Pr. Soc., 1954, 1960, 1961; SAGA, 1955, 1962; Calif. Etchers, 1959; Bay PM, 1959; Joslyn Mus. Art , 1954 (retrospective); Mt. Holyoke, 1954 (retrospective); Swarthmore, 1954 (retrospective); Woodmere Art Gal., Phila., 1960; Phila. Sketch Club, 1965 ( Medal for Distinguished Service to Art); Phila. Art All., 1965 (Medal of Achievement). Solos in numerous colleges, universities, galleries & museums nationally, 1954-65. Other awards & medals: Pennell medal, 1937; Eyre medal, 1939; Beck medal, 1946; Guggenheim Fellowship, 1950, 1963; hon. D.F.A., Phila. College of Art, 1962; PAFA Fellowship, 1964
Member: NA; SAGA; Phila. Pr. Club; Phila. Art All.; Am. Artists Congress.
Work: MoMA; WMAA; CI; LOC; NGA; PMA; SAM; PAFA; NYPL; AGA. Murals, Municipal Court Bldg., Phila.; Philadelphia House...
Category
1920s Art Deco Benton Murdoch Spruance Art
Materials
Lithograph, Paper
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Previously Available Items
'Girl with Mask' — Mid-century Modernism
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
'Girl with Mask', color lithograph, 1950, edition 30, Fine and Looney 291. Signed, titled, and annotated 'Ed 30' in pencil. Initialed in the stone, lower right. With the printer’s ...
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H 23 in W 28 in D 1.5 in
SONAMBULIST
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Portland, ME
Spruance, Benton. SONAMBULIST. F&L272. Lithograph in four colors, 1948. Edition of 40, inscribed "Ed.40," titled, and signed in pencil (F&L says this is an edition of 30, which is li...
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Dream of Love
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
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A fine, r...
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(Go down!)
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Located in Fairlawn, OH
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Edition: A few proofs, very rare
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This is one of four etchings Spruance made of the game of polo. All images are ...
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Benton Murdoch Spruance art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Benton Murdoch Spruance art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Benton Murdoch Spruance in lithograph, paper, archival paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Benton Murdoch Spruance art, so small editions measuring 10 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Thomas Hart Benton, Adolf Dehn, and David Klein. Benton Murdoch Spruance art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $895 and tops out at $14,000, while the average work can sell for $1,400.