George Courtney Benson (1886–1960) was an Australian painter, muralist and cartoonist, and an official war artist during World War I.

Biography

George Courtney Benson was born in Collingwood,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in 1886 to Richard and Mary ( Murdoch) Benson. He studied at the

National Gallery of Victoria Art School The National Gallery of Victoria Art School, associated with the National Gallery of Victoria, was a private fine arts college founded in 1867 and was Australia's leading art school of 50 years. It is also referred to as the 'National Gallery ...

from 1903. Benson enlisted in the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade of the Australian Imperial Force in September 1914 and saw active duty in the Mediterranean. He took sketches of the landscape prior to the allied invasion at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

. Benson was commissioned as an

Australian official war artists Australian official war artists are those who have been expressly employed by either the Australian War Memorial (AWM) or the Army Military History Section (or its antecedents). These artist soldiers depicted some aspect of war through art; this ...

in April 1918, and after the end of the war worked at the Australian War Records Section in London. A scrapbook of 140 sketches drawn by Benson during his time in the First World War are now held by the

Australian War Memorial The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving pe ...

. He designed the commemorative vignette for the first airmail envelopes carried from England to Australia by

Keith Keith may refer to: People and fictional characters * Keith (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters * Keith (surname) * Keith (singer), American singer James Keefer (born 1949) * Baron Keith, a line of Scottish barons ...

and Ross Smith in 1919. In 1931, Benson was commissioned by the

University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...

to paint the ceiling beams of

Winthrop Hall The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany and various other facilitie ...

. He carried out further mural commissions in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, while also working as a critic and cartoonist for ''

The West Australian ''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, ''The Sunday Times''. It is the second-oldest continuousl ...

'' newspaper. Benson applied for a second commission with the Australian War Memorial at the beginning of the Second World War, but was declined due to his age (he was in his 50s at the time). Benson instead enlisted in the Citizen Military Forces and worked as a camouflage officer until 1943. Benson was a long-standing member of the

Melbourne Savage Club Melbourne Savage Club is a private Australian gentlemen's club founded in 1894 and named after the poet, Richard Savage. Bohemian in spirit, the club was to bring together literary men, and those immediately connected or sympathising with li ...

from 1913 to 1936. Benson moved to

in 1931 and died there in 1960.

Collections

Castlemaine Art Museum Castlemaine Art Museum is an Australian art gallery and museum in Castlemaine, Victoria in the Shire of Mount Alexander. It was founded in 1913. It is housed in a 1931 Art Deco neo-classical building constructed for the purpose, heritage-listed ...

References

External links

Paintings

ANZAC
Australian War Memorial
Anzac looking south
Australian War Memorial
Corbie from above, 12th Infantry Brigade HQ
Australian War Memorial
Chinese Labour Corps
Australian War Memorial
Lewis gunner
Australian War Memorial
The man with the donkey, Anzac 1915
Australian War Memorial
Mont Kemmel from near Hill 60
Australian War Memorial
Samothrace from Anzac, 1915
Australian War Memorial
Shell green, Gallipoli
Australian War Memorial
Sketch for Walking wounded
Australian War Memorial

Other

Australia Post * {{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, George Courtney 1886 births 1960 deaths Australian war artists Australian muralists Australian cartoonists World War I artists 20th-century Australian painters 20th-century Australian male artists Australian male painters