Władysław T. Benda
Władysław T. Benda | |
---|---|
Born | 15 January 1873 |
Died | 1948 (aged 74–75) Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
Nationality | Polish |
Known for | painter, illustrator, designer |
Spouse | Romola Campfield |
Children | 2 |
Relatives | Helena Modjeska (aunt) |
Władysław Teodor "W.T." Benda (15 January 1873 – 30 November 1948) was a Polish painter, illustrator, and designer.[1]
Early life
The son of musician Jan Szymon Benda, and a nephew of the actress Helena Modrzejewska (known in the United States as Helena Modjeska), W.T. Benda studied art at the Kraków College of Technology and Art in his native Poland and at the School of Fine Arts in Vienna, Austria. He came to the United States in 1899,[2] to visit his Aunt Helena, who then lived in California. He stayed, and moved to New York City in 1902, where he attended the Art Students League of New York and the William Merritt Chase School. While there, Benda studied under Robert Henri and Edward Penfield.
He joined the
Personal life
He remained in NYC for the rest of his life. Benda married Romola Campfield, and they had two daughters, Eleonora and Basia, who were both artists.[3]
Work
Starting in 1905, Benda was primarily a
Beginning in 1914, Benda was also an accomplished mask maker and costume designer. His sculpted,
At Busby Berkeley's behest, Benda created scores of masks for the spectacular conclusion of Broadway Serenade (1939), including the faces of “all the great composers”.[7] According to TCM, that project earned Berkeley a contract with MGM.[7]
Articles by and about Benda and his masks appeared regularly in many of the same magazines and publications that carried his illustrations. In the 1930s, he authored the Encyclopædia Britannica entry on masks. He also wrote a book, Masks,[8] a study of his own designs and unique construction techniques.[9]
The Polish Museum of America and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library possess collections of Benda's posters for the relief effort in Poland.[6][10]
See also
- List of Poles
References
- ^ Dawdy, Doris Ostrander (1985). Artists of the American West; a Biographical Dictionary. Chicago: Sage Books. p. 21.
- ISBN 9780865162457.
- ^ Biography of Władysław Benda at the Kosciuszko Foundation
- ^ Reed, Walt (2001). The Illustrator in America: 1860-2000. New York: The Society of Illustrators. p. 132.
- ISBN 9780520960800
- ^ a b c Kosciuszko Foundation: Wladyslaw Teodor Benda, Memorial Exhibition
- ^ a b "Broadway Serenade". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- OCLC 937658
- ^ "Benda, Wladyslaw". The Billboard: 48. December 11, 1948.
- ^ "Search - Pritzker Military Museum & Library - Chicago".
- Pohlad, Mark B. "The Man Behind the Masks - W.T. Benda". Illustration Magazine. 4 (13): 4–36. Archived from the original on 2013-07-16. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
External links
- Media related to Wladyslaw T. Benda at Wikimedia Commons
- Works by Władysław T. Benda at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Władysław T. Benda at Internet Archive
- Farby, maski i wolność. Niepodległościowa twórczość Władysława Teodora Bendy (in Polish)
- W. T. Benda artwork at American Art Archives website
- fantasyguilde.com, under explicit GFDL license by owner, Lawrence D. Wood)