Townley Benson

The Story of Townley Benson

William Townley Benson (1848-1907) was a Canadian painter known for his Mexican desert landscapes capturing daily life at the end of the 19th century. He was born in Port Maitland, Ontario (not Port Maitland, Nova Scotia as claimed by other authorities such as Edan Hughes). His paintings are rare and mainly held in private collections. But that is not the whole story.  After the loss or separation of his wife, Benson sent his son to boarding school at Trinity College School (TCS) in Port Hope, Ontario. While home on a school break, his son accidentally shot his sister while playing with a gun and subsequently died of heartache and sorrow. With no immediate family remaining, Townley left for Southern California and later Mexico to begin anew. Perhaps the life of an itinerant artist provided some form of relief. Tragically, his life was taken by revolutionaries who mistook him for establishment and he was shot at none other than his easel at Saltillo, Mexico in 1907.

Click here to read a poem by Townley Benson.

The Krieghoff of Mexico?

Benson lived contemporaneously with Cornelius Krieghoff (1815-1872), a Dutch-born painter famous for his early Canadian winter landscapes and for capturing everyday life of the French "habitant" settlers in Quebec. One wonders if Benson's desert landscape themes and focus on daily life in rural Mexico were inspired by Krieghoff. Both painters no doubt were affected by the loss of a spouse and child. And both died before their 60th birthday outside of their homelands. For an interesting comparison of the life of Townley Benson with Cornelius Krieghoff, click here.

Why Consider a Townley Benson Painting?

• High quality and attractive desert landscapes
  
• Historical/cultural significance of capturing daily life from a very specific period of Mexican history over 100 years ago
  
• Broad base of interest spanning galleries in the UK (Ferens/BBC) and major auction houses in the UK (Christie's, Bonhams), as well as in the US, Canada and Mexico
  
• Relatively unknown Canadian painter with a compelling story