Rainy Day

Frank Weston BensonWW-1906-048723

1906·Oil on canvas·63.5 × 76.2 cm (25 × 30 in.)

<p>In this interior scene of the artist’s summer residence in Maine, American Impressionist Frank Weston Benson depicted his daughter Elisabeth curled up in a rattan chair near a large fireplace. Benson is best known for his outdoor figural compositions, which often feature his wife or children in sun-filled, breezy landscapes. <em>Rainy Day</em>, in contrast, is a study of the subtler effects of interior light. The artist captured the soft, filtered light emanating from the left and embers glowing at far right. Benson was one of a number of late-19th-century artists who painted scenes of contemplative women in interiors, sometimes engaged in activities like sewing or reading, suggesting a cultural link between domesticity and femininity.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1906
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 63.5 × 76.2 cm (25 × 30 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Frank Weston Benson

Artist

Frank Weston Benson

Painting

Frank Weston Benson, frequently referred to as Frank W. Benson, was an American artist from Salem, Massachusetts, known for his Realistic portraits, American Impressionist paintings, watercolors and etchings. He began his career painting portraits of distinguished families and murals for the Library of Congress. Some of his best known paintings depict his daughters outdoors at Benson's summer home, Wooster Farm, on the island of North Haven, Maine. He also produced numerous oil, wash and watercolor paintings and etchings of wildfowl and landscapes.

Salem, MA, USA

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