Two Boys

Frank W. Benson

1926 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

"Two Boys" shows the artist's grandsons, Frank Benson Lawson and Ralph Lawson, Jr., accompanied by their spaniel Buddy, at Wooster Farm in North Haven, Maine. The work's decisive contours, bright colors, and narrative quality recall popular illustrations of the 1920s. In fact, this picture was used as an illustration in the children's magazine, "St. Nicholas" in 1931. Benson's works from this period typically include images of sportsmen and wildlife, still lifes, and half-lit interiors with women engaged in quiet tasks. "Two Boys," however, still recalls the artist's earlier, more spontaneous and impressionistic outdoor scenes, such as "Children in Woods" (1905; 67.187.210), which is in the Museum's collection.

Artist

Frank W. Benson

Date

1926

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

George A. Hearn Fund, 1927