Frank Benson's Beautiful Women

Your August vacation treat is this tribute to Frank Benson's beautiful women, in this case his pretty young daughters.

Benson gave up portraiture to paint and engrave outdoor scenes in 1919 but I think this to be a great loss to the admirers of his work. This link describes his career in great detail with many illustrations. Click on images to enlarge.

Eider Ducks in Winter, Worcester MA Art Museum

However skillfully rendered, an eider duck is just another duck in my opinion, whereas a lovingly rendered portrait of a beautiful young woman is a gift beyond compare.

Eleanor, from an article "The Art of Frank W. Benson" by Charles H. Caffin in Harper's Monthly Magazine for June 1909.

A color scan of the same painting.

Detail.

Summer Afternoon, from an article "The Art of Frank W. Benson" by Charles H. Caffin in Harper's Monthly Magazine for June 1909.

A color scan of the same painting, also known as Portrait of My Daughters 1907.

Detail.