A BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF
observed, and the efEects of light managed with
great skill. His pictures are higlily finished and
very agreeably coloured. His talent was, however,
confined to landscape, and when he attempted to
introduce figures of his own, it always diminished
the value of his works.
BENNETT, Charles H., was a designer on wood, whose first sketches appeared in 'Diogenes.' He also produced many illustrated children's books, as well as illustrations to the ' Pilgrim's Progress,' and sketches in ' Punch.' He died in 18G7, aged 37.
BENNETT, William, a water-colour painter, was born in 1811. It is believed that he re- ceived his first lessons in art from David Cox. 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.
BENNETT, William James, a water-colour painter, was one of the ' Associated Artists ' in 1808, and twelve years afterwards was elected an Associate of the Water-Colour Society. He painted views near Naples, and on the coast of Barbary. His last exhibited drawings were published in 1825.
BENNETT, William Mineard, born at Exe- ter in 1778, was a pupil of Sir Thomas Lawrence, and obtained some celebrity as a painter of por- traits and miniatures — exhibiting at various times at the Academy. About 1835 he went to Paris, where be was patronized and decorated by Louis Philippe. In his later years he returned to Exeter, where he died in 1858.
BENOIST, Antoine, (called Do Cercie,) a French portrait painter, was born at Joigny (Yonne) in 1632. He became painter in ordinary and first sculptor in wax to Louis XIV., and was received into the Academy in 1681. There is at Versailles a remarkable medallion of Louis XIV. executed by liini in coloured wax. He died in Paris in 1717.
BENOIST, Antoine, a French engraver, was born at Soissons in 1721, and died in London in 1770. He engraved, after Blackey, a portrait of Louis XV., King of France.
BENOIST, GniLLAUME Philippe, a French line- engraver, was born near Coutances, in Normandy, in 1725. He engraved, in a neat style, some portraits, and a few other subjects. He died in Paris in 1800. The following plates are by him :
PORTRAITS, Galileo Galilei ; after F. TUla nena. The President de Moutesqaieu. Alexander Pope. Rosen de Eosenstein, physician. Sir Isaac Newton. Blaise Pascal. Albert Haller. Mile. Olairon, actress. Jacques Andre Joseph Aved, painter ; after A led.
SUBJECTS. Jupiter and Juno ; after Giuliano di Parma. Bathsheba bathing ; after Bounieu.
BENOITS, Madame Marie Guilhelmine, whose maiden name was Laville-Leroux, and to whom Demoustier addressed his ' Lettres a Emilie sur la Mythologie,' was born in Paris in 1768. She painted many familiar subjects, and the portraits of several distinguished persons, among which are those_ of the Emperor Napoleon, and his wife, Maria Louisa. A portrait of a negress by her is in the Louvre. She died in 1826, in Paris.
BBNOUVILLE, FRANgois LioN, an historical painter, who was born in Paris in 1821, and studied under Picot. His earliest exhibited works were, 'Mercury and Argus' (1839); 'The Hermit and the Slothful Knights' (1841), taken from an incident in Sir Walter Scott's ' Ivaiihoe ; ' ' Judith ' (1844); 'Esther' (1845). In 1845 he obtained the great prize of Rome, in history, ^^th his pic- ture of ' Jesus in the Judgment Hall.' In 1853 he exhibited a large picture of ' St. Francis of Assisi dying, blessing his native city,' which was purchased for the Luxembourg Gallerj', and at once placed him in a distinguished rank in his art ; it is now in the Louvre. To the Universal Exhi- bition of 1855 B^nouville sent ' Christian Martyrs entering the Amphitheatre,' and ' A Prophet of the Tribe of Judah killed by a Lion ; ' works more remarkable for their composition than their exe- cution. In 1857 he exhibited 'The Two Pigeons,' ' Raphael seeing the Fornarina for the first time,' and ' Poussin on the banks of the Tiber.' About this time he painted the decoration of the interior of the H6tel de Ville. Early in 1859 he completed two pictures, ' St. Clair receivng the body of St. Francis of Assisi,' and 'Joan of Arc,' which were exhibited in the Salon of that year. He also painted portraits. He received two second class medals in 1852 and 1855 respectively ; a first class medal in 1853 ; and the decoration of the Legion of Honour in 1855. He died suddenly, in Paris, in 1869.
BENOUVILLE, Jean Achille, French land- scape painter, bom in Paris on the 15th of July, 1815, was a pupil of Picot, and gained the 'Prix de Rome ' for landscape in 1845, having taken a third- class medal the previous year. After his return from Italy he principally exhibited scenes inspired by that country, together with landscapes taken from Central France up to about the year 1865. He obtained a mention in 1855, and a medal of the first class in 1863, in which same j-earhe was decor- ated with the Legion of Honour on the 5th of July. His most important pictures of that date were ' A View of Rome from the Villa Borghfese,' 'The Coliseum, seen from the Famese Gardens,' and 'The Arno near Tivoli.' He then made an expedi- tion to Switzerland and painted various bits of the grand mountain scenery of that country. His earliest work, like his latest, was drawn from the environs of Paris, in which city he died on the 6th of February, 1891.
BENSHEIMER. Johann, a German engraver, medallist, and designer, by wliom we have a set of portraits of the Electors of Saxony. He worked at Dantzic, Berlin, and Dresden, where he lived from 1670 to 1700. He marked his plates with the initials of his name, J . B.
BENSON, GiDLio, who was born at Genoa, about the j'ear 1601, was a scholar of Giovanni Battista Paggi. Soprano says that he was also an eminent architect. He painted history and per- spective, was patronized by the Doria family, and executed some ornamental works in their palace. His most esteemed work is the ' Coronation of the Virgin,' painted in fresco in the church of the Nunziata. There are several of his oil paintings in the churches at Genoa ; that of St. Domenioo is much admired. He died in 1668.
BENT, Johannes van der. See Van der Bent.
BENTLEY, Charles, a painter of coast and river scenery, in water-colours, was born in 1806
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