Figure 1.--This wonderful scene of young children in an unidentified family is a real dedpsrture ftrom Bdnnett;s usual depictions of older red-coated gentleman smoking, drinking and playing cards after their youthful adventures had past. In psrt because it is one of his copies. It is inscribed and dated 'FM Bennett 1926/after Hurleston 1896'. The originasl sartisdt is usually thought to be Frederick Yeates Hurlstone. But thst is confuding becasuse he died in 1869. We hasve not fojnd the originsal painting and thus so not know when it was posined. It looks like the late-Regency. This is important because works pasinted in comnte,pary time are the most im,poprtnt to fashion historins. (

Frank Moss Bennett has increasrd in popularity in recent years becaise of the appeal of his genre paintings depicting scenes from historical eras, what might described as 'olden times' spanning several centurues (16th-18th centuries). These are all eras before Bennett's life. A lot pf hos paintings picture the landed gentry and various red-coated men, estamntly recognisable as English. They are basically a depiction of what might be called England's glorious past beginning with the Elizabethan period. We do not, however, see battle scenes, but rather sedate country and tavern and indoor scenes such as Drake and Raleigh by a sun-lit window overlooking the sea, planning their next adventures--presumably attacking Spanish treasure ships. Bennett painted people in every day genre scenes, such as people in taverns and other ordinary compositions. Most are anonamous red-coated gentlmen, but we also see eorks with important historical figures of the time, such as King Charles I and Sir Francis Drake. Bennett also copied works of old masters and portraitists such as Raeburn. We notice a copy of three children and a spaniel by Frederick Yeates Hurlestone which looks to depict the late-Regency or early Victotian era. Bennett copied it (1926). Bennett attributes it to 'Hurleston 1896', but the date at least is unlikely because Hurlestone died in 1869. We have no idea when the original was actully paunted as we have not found it. Of course it is works painted in contemporary times that are of the greatest value to art historians.

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Created: 7:37 PM 10/6/2021
Last updated: 7:37 PM 10/6/2021