John Prentiss Benson (1865 to 1947)
John Benson was a native of Salem, Massachusetts, the second son in a prominent Salem family. Both John and his brother Frank W. Benson took an early interest in artistic expression. Encouraged by the family to pursue architecture, John established his reputation by desigining homes, hospitals, schools and other public buildings. By the 1920s he put aside his drafting tools and turned to his true passion, art. In 1925 he and his wife bought a home in Kittery, Maine. With Maine as his home base he began painting full-time. He painted mostly marinescapes, landcapes, portraits, murals and decorative screens.
Courtesy of Manitou Galleries/Manitou Auction