1912 Frank Weston Benson Etching

I decided to post this because I thought people might enjoy seeing this rare early Benson etching. Benson's early etchings are typically purchased and circulated among a small group of serious collectors. This is Benson's 3rd etching ( " Tame Fish Hawk " ), made during a period where he was working in an experimental phase. There are 7 impressions of this etching, 2 belong to the Boston Public Library. I purchased the etching at an online estate auction in Maine last October. For many years I had wanted a Benson etching for my collection and just sort of assumed I would pick up an entry level one from an online auction. When this one turned up, I decided it really needed to be in the hands of a collector that would appreciate the importance of it. I contacted the previous gallery owner who had the print back in the early 90's and had a very nice chat with him about how he got it and who he may have sold it to. He remembered getting it at an auction and thought he may have sold it to 1 of 2 people who were trying to put together a complete set of Benson's etchings. The print is in very nice condition. It has been in contact with an acidic material at some point and I have been debating whether to have a little conservation done. I'm not quite sure which impression this is, the inscription does not seem to match any of the documented recipients. The recipients were, Benson's son George, Mrs. Ralph Larson, Dwight Blaney, and Mrs. Newton Smith. Benson kept 3 for himself, 2 of which are in the Boston Public Library. I have since removed it from the frame, but have not taken a picture of it yet. It has been trimmed with a very tight margin, just enough to preserve the signature. When I get it reframed I may just have them float it. Any tips on figuring out the original owner and which impression this might be, would be greatly appreciated. Any thoughts on conservation? Should I just leave it alone?

 

Dunno. But love its immediacy. A still moment but with a real sense of movement created by the Vs.

Debora

 

Hi, There was only one impression made. The 7 original owners were as follows: Frank Benson ( 3 ), George Benson, Mrs. Ralph Lawson, Dwight Blaney and Mrs. Newton Smith

 

Thanks Greg. Welcome to the forum. I will take a better photo of the inscription later and post it.

 

sure thing. As to conservation, I have collected etchings, prints, aquatints of antique sporting art for many years including Benson's. From a value perspective, having them professionally cleaned does not detract or diminish their value. If getting cleaned the one thing to keep in mind is that Benson used a variety of paper and getting them cleaned to bone white is not necessarily what the original paper's color was.

Greg