Skip to main content

Harry Bennett Art

American, 1919-2012
Harry R. Bennett (1919-2012) Award-winning painter and illustrator Harry R. Bennett, formerly of Ridgefield, Connecticut, died early Thursday, November 29, 2012, from complications of pneumonia at The VA Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. He had lived with his daughter, Pamela Bennett, and wife Margaret Shean in Towson, Maryland. Mr. Bennett was a commercial artist when he enlisted in the Army in November 1940. He graduated from the Infantry Officer Candidate School in May 1942. Major Bennett was a veteran of the Hollandia operation, in which Gen. Douglas MacArthur's forces cut off the entire Japanese 18th Army, and in which Major Bennett himself won the Bronze Star. In 1945, Mr. Bennett married Margaret Shean in Ridgefield, CT, where they lived until 1985. His wife encouraged him to follow his passion for painting. He attended The Art Institute of Chicago and The American Academy of Art Chicago. He would use his family and neighbors as models for over 1000 book covers and illustrations over the years. Mr. Bennett was best known as an internationally published illustrator who painted large-scale covers for the big publishers of the paperback industry at the time including, Simon and Schuster, Western Printing, and Avon Press. He painted covers for various authors including Jude Deveraux, Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, and Victoria Holt. He also illustrated the first paperback edition of Mario Puzo's "The Godfather". He was awarded a bronze medal by The New York Society of Illustrators for the ink paintings he created to illustrate a boxed collectors' edition of Dante's "Divine Comedy," published in 1966, in which he has granted him a one-man show at The New York Public Library. In 1986, Mr. Bennett retired from commercial work and traveled out West, settling in Astoria, OR, where his work continues to be exhibited. Jeannine Grafton, director of the RiverSea Gallery, remembers Bennett as a passionate, enthusiastic artist with a "youthful zest for life." Harry was compassionate, warm, and always interested in engaging with new people. Teri Sund, who was a good friend of Mr. Bennett's and helped run RiverSea Gallery before opening her gallery, recalls, "He was the most honorable and graciously sincere human I have ever had the privilege to know. When Harry was in the room, there were no worries, we all felt safe and cared for when he was around." Harry had a strong work ethic and always wanted to be painting or preparing for a painting. He was a great mentor to young artists, including his daughter Deborah and Thomas who are also painters. In 2008, he and his wife moved to Towson, MD. Source: Taken in part from the obituary on the Legacy website.
(Biography provided by BLUE IRIS / IRIS BLEU)
to
1
1
1
2
1
1
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
1
2
2
10,457
5,417
2,523
2,476
2
1
1
1
1
Artist: Harry Bennett
Building Landscape Gouache Painting by Harry Bennett
By Harry Bennett
Located in Atlanta, GA
Stunning gouache on cardboard painting by American Artist Harry Bennett (1919 - 2012). This early hyperrealist design features a church or school in the middle of nowhere in the coun...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Gouache, Cardboard

Harry Bennett (1879-1955) - Signed Early 20th Century Oil, Village Scene
By Harry Bennett
Located in Corsham, GB
This painting depicts a quaint, rural village with figures wandering towards the church. The expressive brushstrokes are typical of Bennett's style. Well presented in a textured guil...
Category

20th Century Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Oil

Related Items
Pair of 19th century landscape oil paintings of the River Avon & Berwyn Valley
By John Bates Noel
Located in Moreton-In-Marsh, Gloucestershire
**PLEASE NOTE: EACH PAINTING INCLUDING THE FRAME MEASURES 19 INCHES X 23 INCHES** John Bates Noel British, (1870-1927) On the Avon & In the Berwin Valley Oil on canvas, pair, both signed, also signed & inscribed verso Image size: 12 inches x 16 inches (each) Size including frame: 19 inches x 23 inches (each) John Bates Noel was born John Noel Bates in Worcester in 1870. He was the son of the landscape artist David Bates (1840-1921) but later on changed his professional name to avoid confusion. The family lived in Worcestershire as well as in Birmingham and it was highly likely that he was encouraged and taught by his father as their subject matter and style bear similarities, although John’s compositions tend to be more fluid and looser. By the turn of the century Noel was living in Malvern where he also taught art. He specialised in painting the rugged landscapes in and around the West Midlands, Worcestershire and North Wales. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1893-1909 and at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists between 1892-1919. He also exhibited works at some of the major galleries of the time including the Manchester City Art Gallery and the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. The building in the painting 'On the Avon' is believed to be that of St Margaret's Church at Wolston in Warwickshire. The structures at the front of the church appear to be thatched hay ricks, which are similar to ones seen in an old postcard of the church seen from the river Avon...
Category

19th Century Victorian Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

European School Landscape
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Early 20th Century European School landscape with buildings in the background, gouache on paper unsigned in a beautiful custom made Haydenryk frame under glass.
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Gouache, Board

  •  European School Landscape
  •  European School Landscape
  •  European School Landscape
  •  European School Landscape
H 31 in. W 33 in. D 2 in.
Mid Century California Mission Landscape
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautiful mid century landscape of a historic California mission, highlighting its iconic architectural details such as a columned arches, white was...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Impressionist Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Gouache, Cardboard, Paper

Floral Still Life
Located in Storrs, CT
Oil painting measures 12 x 9; frame dimensions measure 19 3/8 x 16 3/8 x 3. Housed in an elegant gold-tone frame with decorative edges. Illegible signature, lower right.
Category

20th Century Realist Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Oil

  • Floral Still Life
  • Floral Still Life
  • Floral Still Life
  • Floral Still Life
H 19.38 in. W 16.38 in. D 3 in.
Mid Century Big Sur Coast at Sunset Seascape
Located in Soquel, CA
Gorgeous mid century seascape of Big Sur at sunset by California artist Arlene Manley (American, 20th Century), 1962. Signed and dated lower right corner. Unframed.
Category

1960s Realist Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

French Genre Scene in Parisian park 19th Century Oil painting
By Emile Tabary
Located in Stockholm, SE
Signed by Émile Tabary. Lively scene in in a parisian park, pictured moment of city life of the late 19th century. In this painting, some irony and humor are very subtly felt. One of...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Neapolitan Landscape - Painting - 19th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Neapolitan landscape is an original artwork realized by an unknown artist of the 19th Century. Gouache on cardboard. 54x63 cm with frame. Good conditions.
Category

19th Century Modern Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Cardboard, Gouache

Still Life with Polykleitian Head and Ancathus
By David Ligare
Located in New York, NY
SAPERE AUDE. Dare to be wise. Immanuel Kant’s directive is embodied in the work of David Ligare. For thirty-five years, Ligare has dedicated his work to Classicist ideals: Truth, Bea...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Floral Still Life of Pink Roses
Located in Storrs, CT
Floral still life of pink roses in a red vase with two figures, set against a dark background. Oil on canvas measures 15 3/4 x 11 7/8; frame dimensions measure 20 1/2 x 16 1/2 x 2 3/...
Category

1950s Realist Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Oil

  • Floral Still Life of Pink Roses
  • Floral Still Life of Pink Roses
  • Floral Still Life of Pink Roses
  • Floral Still Life of Pink Roses
H 20.5 in. W 16.5 in. D 2.75 in.
Nocturnal Spanish Town landscape
Located in Soquel, CA
Wonderful nocturnal Spanish street scene by S. Gomez (Spanish, 20th Century), c. 1970. Signed lower right. Presented in rustic wood frame. Image s...
Category

1970s Realist Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Vintage Vibrant Taos New Mexico Desert Painting
Located in Soquel, CA
Wonderfully vibrant Taos, New Mexico landscape painting by unknown artist , Circa 1940. Unsigned. Unframed. Image size: 6"H x 8"W.
Category

1940s American Impressionist Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Gouache, Cardboard

Day at the Beach - Realistic Figurative Illustration in Gouache
Located in Soquel, CA
Day at the Beach - Realistic Figurative Illustration in Gouache Original figurative illustration of people at the beach by Charles Ross Kinghan (American, 1895-1984). Several women are looking at someone's foot, as if there is a splinter being removed. Three of the women are closer, with their heads in the frame. Two of them have are standing with their backs to the viewer. Between the women, the viewer can catch glimpses of other activities on the beach. Possibly a sketch for Good Housekeeping Magazine. Signed "Charles Ross" in the lower right corner. (Charles Ross Kinghan) Acquired with other signed estate works by the artist. Presented in a new cream mat. Mat size: 16"H x 13"W Board size: 14"H x 11.75"W Charles Ross Kinghan (American, 1895-1984) was born in Anthony, KS on January 18, 1895. A teacher, he moved to Wichita as a teenager and did sign painting for the Western Sign Works. He studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Art in 1916, the American Academy of Art in Chicago, the Audubon School of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. He was a pupil of Carl Scheffler, J. Wellington Reynolds, and H.A. Oberteuffer. He taught at the Art Institute of Chicago and at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. He was an illustrator for McCalls, Good Housekeeping, Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, and many others, including American Artist magazine. He was author and illustrator of Rendering Techniques for Commercial Art and Advertising (1956) and of Ted Kautzky...
Category

1930s American Impressionist Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Cardboard

Previously Available Items
Cry Shame
By Harry Bennett
Located in Minneapolis, MN
This original gouache painting by Harry Bennett was used as cover art for the Pyramid paperback publication of "Cry Shame" written by Gore Vidal under the pseudonym Katherine Everard...
Category

1950s Pop Art Harry Bennett Art

Materials

Illustration Board, Gouache

  • Cry Shame
  • Cry Shame
  • Cry Shame
  • Cry Shame
H 18.75 in. W 16 in.

Harry Bennett art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Harry Bennett art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Harry Bennett in paint, board, cardboard and more. Not every interior allows for large Harry Bennett art, so small editions measuring 19 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Stephen Day, W. Jason Situ, and Steven Paddack. Harry Bennett art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at £368 and tops out at £1,766, while the average work can sell for £1,067.

Artists Similar to Harry Bennett

Recently Viewed

View More