William Bennett (1811–1871) was an English

watercolour Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...

landscape painter Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a coherent compos ...

. It is believed that Bennett received his first lessons in art from David Cox. They went on painting trips to beauty spots in north Wales, the north of England and Scotland, with David Cox Jnr (Cox's son) and other artist friends.David Cox Jnr
("Friends of West Norwood Cemetery") In 1848 he was made a member of the New Water-Colour Society, and contributed landscapes, chiefly of English scenery, to their exhibitions, until his death in 1871. He also exhibited at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

(RA),

British Institution The British Institution (in full, the British Institution for Promoting the Fine Arts in the United Kingdom; founded 1805, disbanded 1867) was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it w ...

(BI) and the

Royal Society of British Artists The Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy. History The RBA commenced with twenty-seven members, and took until 1876 to reach fif ...

(RBA). Bennett learnt from Cox the ability to draw with speed, and worked with a restricted range of colours, achieving his artistic effect by "the quickest and most dexterous use of a large brush full of colour dashed with hurried certainty over the roughest paper". In this way he achieved the effect of portraying the initial impact of the scene to the artist, but at the expense of accuracy.Harry Quilter. ''Notes on watercolour art" (fro
The Cornhill magazine, vol. 42
pp. 413-4. Bennett lived for a period at "Milford Lodge", New Park Road, in

Clapham Park Clapham Park is an area in the Borough of Lambeth in London, to the south of central Clapham and west of Brixton. History The original Clapham Park Estate was a speculative development by Thomas Cubitt, who bought of Bleak Hall Farm in 1825 ...

, London (the house has since been demolished); next door but one to David Cox Jnr and his family, who lived at "no. 82" from 1860. He died in 1871 and is buried at

West Norwood Cemetery West Norwood Cemetery is a rural cemetery in West Norwood in London, England. It was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery. One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the " Magnificent Seven" cemeteries of L ...

, London. One of Bennett's pupils was

Alfred Williams Alfred Hamilton Williams (born November 6, 1968) is a former American football player. He was a linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. His nicknames ...

(1832–1905).

References

Attribution: *

External links

Paintings by William Bennett
(Arcadja auction catalogue)

(Watercolour - "The Swan Gallery", Sherborne, Dorset)
An angler on a riverbank
(Watercolour -

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...

) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, William 1811 births 1871 deaths 19th-century English painters English male painters English watercolourists English landscape painters Burials at West Norwood Cemetery 19th-century English male artists