Foster, N.A., Ben
(1852-1926)
“Afternoon Maine Woods”

Artist Biography

Ben Foster, NA (1852-1926)

Born/lived: Ben Foster was born in North Anson, Maine on July 31, 1852. He lived in Cornwall Hollow, Connecticut most of his working life. He did not pursue art as a career until thirty years of age. His brother, Charles (1850-1931) was also an accomplished artist.

Known: as an American Impressionist landscape painter. His paintings were admired for their meditative qualities, capturing the atmospheric effects of dawn and sunset moonlight and twilight.

Studied: under Abbott H. Thayer at the Art Student’s League in New York and Aime Morot and Oliver Merson in Paris.

Member: New York Water Color Club; American Water Color Society; Century Association; Society of American Artists; California Art Club; Lotos Club; Salmagundi Club; National Arts Club; and was elected to Associate status in the National Academy of Design in 1901 and Member in 1904.

Exhibited: Chicago, 1893 (Gold medal); Cleveland 1895 (prize); Paris Salon 1897 (Foret de Fontainebleau) and 1900 (bronze medal); National Academy of Design 1906, 1909 (Inness gold medal), 1917.

Taught: the National Art Club, the Art Students League, and New York City College, Grand Central Art School, University of Virginia and Savannah Art Club, staff lecturer arts of India, Asia Institute, and history of art Roerich Museum.

Work: Corcoran Gallery of Art; Luxembourg Museum, Paris; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Paris Museum of Modern Art; Oakland Museum, California; and, The Toledo (Ohio) Museum of Art.