Joseph Benwell Clark (185713 February 1938) was an English painter,

etcher Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

, engraver in

mezzotint Mezzotint is a monochrome printmaking process of the intaglio (printmaking), intaglio family. It was the first printing process that yielded half-tones without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple. Mezzo ...

and

drypoint Drypoint is a printmaking technique of the intaglio (printmaking), intaglio family, in which an image is incised into a plate (or "matrix") with a hard-pointed "needle" of sharp metal or diamond point. In principle, the method is practically iden ...

, and book illustrator. ''Victorian Painters'' describes Clark as a London painter of rustic subjects.

Early life

Born at

Cerne Abbas Cerne Abbas () is a village and civil parish in Dorset in southern England. It lies in the Dorset Council administrative area in the Cerne Valley in the Dorset Downs. The village lies just east of the A352 road north of Dorchester. At the ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

, Clark was a son of William Henry Clark, linen draper, and his wife Christian Ann Benwell Ellisdon, and was baptized into the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

on 24 July 1857. His parents had married at

Haggerston Haggerston is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Hackney. It is in East London and part of the East End of London, East End. There is an Haggerston (ward), electoral ward called Haggerston within the borough. H ...

, East London, in 1846, and both his grandfathers were drapers. His middle name, Benwell, came from his maternal grandmother, who was Sarah Lovelock Benwell before marrying William Ellisdon. Clark was a nephew of the painter and illustrator Joseph Clark (1834–1926), who was also a native of Cerne Abbas. The younger Clark later lived with his uncle in

Holloway, London Holloway is an area of North London in the London Borough of Islington, borough of Islington, north of Charing Cross, which follows the line of the Holloway Road (A1 road (Great Britain), A1). At the centre of Holloway is the Nag's Head, London, ...

,Joseph Benwell Clark (1857–1938), Artist
npg.org.uk, accessed 18 October 2020 while studying art at the

Slade School of Fine Art The UCL Slade School of Fine Art (informally The Slade) is the art school of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, England. It has been ranked as the UK's top art and design educational institution. The school is organised as ...

, under

Alphonse Legros Alphonse Legros (; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist. He moved to London in 1863 and later was naturalized as British. He was important as a teacher in the British etching ...

, whose best pupil he was.Joseph Benwell Clark
at britishmuseum.org, accessed 3 October 2020 He thus got to know

William Strang William Strang (13 February 1859 – 12 April 1921) was a Scottish painter and printmaker, notable for illustrating the works of John Bunyan, Bunyan, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Coleridge and Rudyard Kipling, Kipling. Early life Strang was bor ...

, another pupil,"STRANG, WILLIAM (1850– )", in ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

'', Vol. 25 (1911)
text online
at

Wikisource Wikisource is an online wiki-based digital library of free-content source text, textual sources operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikisource is the name of the project as a whole; it is also the name for each instance of that project, one f ...

and they and

Charles Holroyd Sir Charles Holroyd RE (9 April 1861 – 17 November 1917) was an English painter, original printmaker and curator during the late Victorian and Edwardian eras up to and including the First World War. He was Keeper of the Tate from 1897 to 1 ...

are the three of Legros's students mentioned in Arthur M. Hind's ''A History of Engraving and Etching''. While he was at the Slade, Clark also became a friend of

Henry Scott Tuke Henry Scott Tuke (12 June 1858 – 13 March 1929) was an English artist. His most notable work was in the Impressionist style and he is best known for his paintings of nude boys and young men. Trained at the Slade School of Art under Alphons ...

and the writer Samuel Butler. In April 1881, Clark was living with his parents, three brothers, and two sisters in Market Square, Cerne Abbas, and stated his occupation for that year's census as "Artist (Fine Arts)". Between 1881 and 1882, Clark and Tuke were art students in the

atelier An atelier () is the private workshop or studio of a professional artist in the fine or decorative arts or an architect, where a principal master and a number of assistants, students, and apprentices can work together producing fine art or vi ...

Jean-Paul Laurens Jean-Paul Laurens (; 28 March 1838 – 23 March 1921) was a romanticism French painter and sculptor, and he is one of the last major exponents of the French Academic style. Biography Laurens was born in Fourquevaux and was a pupil of Léon ...

in Paris. Clark's mother died in 1883.

Career

Clark began by making engravings after the paintings of his uncle and also exhibited work at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

from 1880 to 1894. In July 1879, his etching of a work of

George Frederic Watts George Frederic Watts (23 February 1817 – 1 July 1904) was a British painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolism (arts), Symbolist movement. Watts became famous in his lifetime for his allegorical works, such as ''Hope (Watts), Hop ...

, "The Three Goddesses", was reviewed favourably in ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...

'', and the next year under the title "Pallas, Juno, & Venus" was printed in Paris in ''L'Art''. In 1884 his etching "The Dinner Hour" appeared in ''

The Art Journal ''The Art Journal'' was the most important British 19th-century magazine on art. It was founded in 1839 by Hodgson & Graves, print publishers, 6 Pall Mall, with the title ''Art Union Monthly Journal'' (or ''The Art Union''), the first issue of 7 ...

''. In 1889, work by Clark was included in J. S. Virtue's ''Fifty Choice Examples of Modern Etching'', a handsome

folio The term "folio" () has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging Paper size, sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for ...

volume containing etchings by Legros, Whistler, Chattock,

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

Foster Foster may refer to: People * Foster (surname) * Foster Brooks (1912–2001), American actor * Foster Moreau (born 1997), American football player * Foster Sarell (born 1998), American football player * John Foster Dulles (1888–1959), America ...

, Haden, Herkomer,

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

, Courtry, and others. In 1891, William Strang portrayed his friend Clark in an etching entitled "The Philosopher", as noted in the

1911 Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * January 3 ** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...

''. In 1894, a new translation of

Lucian of Samosata Lucian of Samosata (Λουκιανὸς ὁ Σαμοσατεύς, 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syria (region), Syrian satire, satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer who is best known for his characteristic tongue-in-cheek style, with whi ...

's ''

True History ''A True Story'' (, ''Alēthē diēgēmata''; or ), also translated as ''True History'', is a long novella or short novel written in the second century AD by the Syrian author Lucian of Samosata. The novel is a satire of outlandish tales that h ...

'', with illustrations by

Aubrey Beardsley Aubrey Vincent Beardsley ( ; 21 August 187216 March 1898) was an English illustrator and author. His black ink drawings were influenced by Woodblock printing in Japan, Japanese woodcuts, and depicted the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. ...

, William Strang, and J. B. Clark, was privately printed in an edition of 251 copies. In 1895, Clark worked with Strang again to illustrate ''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' and ''Sindbad the Sailor and Alibaba and the Forty Thieves'', an edition which has been called reminiscent of the structure of Chinese boxes. Clark spent most of his career in London, where as well as painting and engraving he taught. In April 1901, he was sharing rooms in King Henry's Road,

Primrose Hill Primrose Hill is a Grade II listed public park located north of Regent's Park in London, England, first opened to the public in 1842.Mills, A., ''Dictionary of London Place Names'', (2001) It was named after the natural hill in the centre of t ...

, with two other artists, Richard W. Maddox and Vivian Paulfield, and a fourth artist, Valentine Havers-Morgan, was visiting them. At the time of the census of 1911, Clark was living alone at 19, King Henry's Road, and was Curator of the Schools at the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

Burlington House Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in Mayfair, London. It was originally a private English Baroque and then Neo-Palladian mansion owned by the Earl of Burlington, Earls of Burlington. It was significantly expanded in the mid-19th cent ...

. He also had a studio at 22 King Henry’s Road,

Chalk Farm Chalk Farm is a small urban district of north west London, lying immediately north of Camden Town, in the London Borough of Camden. History Manor of Rugmere Chalk Farm was originally known as the Manor of Rugmere, an estate that was mentio ...

. In 1921, he retired from his position as Curator, and not long after that returned to live in his native Cerne, where he stayed with a brother and sister until his death in 1938. Clark died at Cerne Abbas on 13 February 1938 and was buried there, his address being stated as Barnwells. He left property valued at £5,916, , and probate was granted to John Henry Clark, draper, and Charles Frederick Fox FSA. C. F. Fox acquired Clark's self-portrait of 1889 and in 1954 bequeathed it to the

Dorset County Museum The Dorset Museum (also known as the Dorset Museum & Art Gallery) is located in Dorchester, Dorset, England. It was known as the Dorset County Museum until 2021. Founded in 1846, the museum covers the county of Dorset's history and environment. ...

, Dorchester, which also has other paintings by Clark. A copy of his drypoint engraving of his master Legros is in the

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London that houses a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. When it opened in 1856, it was arguably the first national public gallery in the world th ...

. Five of his illustrations for ''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', drawn in

Indian ink India ink (British English: Indian ink; also Chinese ink) is a simple black or coloured ink once widely used for writing and printing and now more commonly used for drawing and outlining, especially when inking comic books and comic strips. In ...

, are in the Prints and Drawings Study Room of the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

.Artist/Maker: Clark, Joseph Benwell (artist)
vam.ac.uk, accessed 18 October 2020 File:Alphonse Legros by J. Benwell Clark.jpeg, Legros, by Clark, 1880 File:J. B. Clark, Dinner Hour.jpeg, "The Dinner Hour", 1884 File:Lucian's True History - ADORATION.png, From ''True History'' File:William Strang, etching of J. B. Clark (detail).jpg, Clark by Strang, c. 1915 File:Study of a Male Figure - Joseph Benwell Clark - ABDAG002687.jpg, ''Study of a Male Figure'', Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums Collection

Works illustrated

*"Ye Baron's Daughter and Ye Squire of Low Degree", a ballad illustrated by J. B. Clark and Mason Jackson, ''

Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'', founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. The magazine was published weekly for most of its existence, switched to a less freq ...

'' Christmas number, December 1890 *

Lucian Lucian of Samosata (Λουκιανὸς ὁ Σαμοσατεύς, 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer who is best known for his characteristic tongue-in-cheek style, with which he frequently ridi ...

's ''

'', Greek text with illustrations by William Strang, J. B. Clark, and Aubrey Beardsley (limited edition, privately printed by Lawrence and Bullen, 1894) ** Lucian's ''True History'', translated by Francis Hickes, with introduction by

Charles Whibley Charles Whibley (9 December 1859 – 4 March 1930) was an English literary journalist and author. In literature and the arts, his views were progressive. He supported James Abbott McNeill Whistler (they had married sisters). He also recommended ...

, illustrations by William Strang, J. B. Clark, and Aubrey Beardsley (London: A. H. Bullen, 1902) *'' The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen, illustrated by William Strang and J. B. Clark'' (London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1895) *''Sindbad the Sailor and Alibaba and the Forty Thieves, illustrated by William Strang and J. B. Clark'' (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1895; London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1896)

Notes

External links

''Sinbad the Sailor and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves''
illustrated by William Strang and J. B. Clark, online in the

University of Florida Digital Collections The University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC) are supported by the University of Florida Digital Library Center in the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. The University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC) comprise a ...

Tag: JB Clark
at johncoulthart.com
J. B. Clark no. 1
portrait by Clark of William Strang at nationalgalleries.org
Joseph Benwell Clark, The Dinner Hour
(etching published 1884) at

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, is the largest public arts institution in the city of San Francisco. FAMSF's combined attendance was 1,1 ...

, art.famsf.org
Joseph Benwell Clark
at invaluable.com
J. B. Clark
portrait by William Strang at

National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's National museums of Canada, national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the List of large ...

Early life

Career

Works illustrated

Notes

External links

Further reading