Mildred E. Bent

Key facts

Movements

• Art Deco
• Arts and Crafts

• What is Mildred E. Bent known for?+

  Mildred E. Bent is known for her contributions to the Index of American Design, a WPA Federal Art Project. She produced detailed watercolour and graphite renderings of domestic items and textile crafts.
• What is Mildred E. Bent's most famous work?+

  It is difficult to name one single work as Mildred E. Bent's 'most famous'. She was a painter, but also worked in other media such as watercolour and ink. Bent seems to have been a student of William M. Harnett, and several paintings are attributed to her. Paintings such as *Still Life for William Ignatius Blemly* (c. 1874-1875) show her early style. Other works include *Iris*, a watercolour from 1871, and *Key of Colour*, a watercolour exercise signed by Harnett. Bent also produced sculpture, such as *Head of Dante* (1873), a bronze relief. Her work shows the influence of Harnett, especially in the modelling and deployment of shadows to create the illusion of depth. Some of her paintings incorporate trompe-l'œil effects, such as musical scores or newspaper clippings. These elements contribute to the realism of her still-life compositions.
• What should I know about Mildred E. Bent's prints?+

  When considering Mildred E. Bent's prints, bear in mind the terminology around printmaking can be confusing. Is the print an original, or a reproduction? Is it a vintage print (made around the time the negative was taken), a period print (made within 10 to 15 years of the negative), or a modern print (recently printed from the original negative)? An original print is a definitive print made by the artist, or under their direct supervision. This can affect its market value. When buying any print, confirm whether it is a reproduction of an artwork conceived in another medium (painting, watercolour), or whether it was conceived as a print. The Professional Art Dealers Association of Canada defines an original print as an image conceived by the artist as a print and executed solely as a print, usually in a numbered edition, and signed. Each print in the edition is an original, printed individually. The number of prints in the edition is decided by the artist. This is why numbered prints are often written as e.g. 12/25 (meaning print number 12 from an edition of 25).
• What style or movement did Mildred E. Bent belong to?+

  Mildred E. Bent's career occurred during the Art Deco period, a style that came into its own between the two World Wars. The Victoria and Albert Museum has argued that Art Deco is a legitimate descriptor for a global modern style during the 1920s and 1930s. Art Deco design is characterised by abstracted and simplified forms. It draws from historical sources, the contemporary avant-garde, and the imagination. Art Deco was pragmatic, speaking to consumerism rather than espousing utopian ideals. It embraced formalism and intentionality. The style includes formal progressivism and contemporary rhetoric, elevating the machine aesthetic. Art Deco design drew on a variety of sources. These included African, Chinese, Cubist, Egyptian, Japanese, Native American, Oriental, and Scandinavian motifs. Secession also influenced its forms.
• What techniques or materials did Mildred E. Bent use?+

  Mildred E. Bent's materials included oil paint on Masonite panels. Her work *Bent Dark Gray* (1943) provides a detailed description of her process. Bent prepared her panels by sanding off any previous paint layers. She then applied three coats of Texolite, followed by more sanding. For the paint itself, she used Illustrators permanent Gray I, II, and III (from Schmincke), along with permalba white (from Weber) and yellow ochre light (pretested). She applied these paints with a knife, without adding any painting medium. The back of the panel received several coats of blue-whiting and white ground, enamel, and flat paint. Conservation reports from 1953 to 1959 indicate surface cleaning, repairs to damaged corners with Lucite 46 and Elmer's Glue, and inpainting with dry pigment, Lucite 46, and watercolour. These treatments aimed to address surface soil, pinpoint losses, rubs, and scratches, preserving the integrity of the artwork.
• When did Mildred E. Bent live and work?+

  Without specific biographical details, it's difficult to provide a comprehensive account of Mildred E. Bent's life and work. However, information about other artists active during certain periods may provide some context. For example, Mark Rothko (born Marcus Rothkowitz in Russia) lived from 1903 to 1970. He emigrated to the United States, and by the late 1920s, he was studying at the Art Students League in New York. During that time, Rothko was influenced by Max Weber and experimented with expressionism. Alexander Calder, born in Philadelphia in 1898, also studied at the Art Students League in New York during the 1920s. Calder moved to Paris in 1926 and began creating his circus figures and wire sculptures. David Smith, another American artist, exhibited at the Neumann-Willard Gallery in New York in 1940. He also worked as a machinist during that period.
• Where can I see Mildred E. Bent's work?+

  Mildred E. Bent's work can be viewed in several museums. In the United States, these include the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art (Winter Park, Florida), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond), and the Wolfsonian at Florida International University (Miami Beach). In Canada, Bent's work is held at the Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto). Museums in the United Kingdom that hold her work include the Bakelite Museum (Williton), the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, the Geffrye Museum (London), the Manchester Art Gallery, the National Museums of Scotland Royal Museum (Edinburgh), and the Victoria & Albert Museum (London).
• Where was Mildred E. Bent from?+

  Mildred E. Bent's family originated in the American Midwest. Her father, Maecenas Eason Benton, was born into a family with Southern roots. He was a former Confederate soldier and later a lawyer in Neosho, Missouri, a small community on the Ozarks' fringe. He married Elizabeth Wise, from Texas, in 1888. They had a son born in Neosho in 1889. Maecenas Benton was a figure in Missouri Democratic politics. He was a delegate to state political conventions and a U.S. district attorney during Grover Cleveland’s first term (1885-1889). He served as Missouri’s Fifteenth District congressional representative from 1897 to 1905. He aimed to involve his son in politics from a young age, taking him on political tours around southwest Missouri.
• Who did Mildred E. Bent influence?+

  It is difficult to say exactly who Mildred E. Bent influenced, although some general statements can be made about the artistic environment in which she worked. Bent was active in the Los Angeles art scene, where, in the 1920s, most artists were either traditionalists or still under the sway of Impressionism. Modernism was limited to a small circle. Some progressive artists attended lectures and painting demonstrations at the Art Students League of Los Angeles and the Chouinard Art Institute. Canadian-born Henrietta Shore was an influential figure in progressive Los Angeles art circles from 1913. She helped plan independent exhibitions, beyond the conservative annuals of the California Art Club, and established a reputation for a colourful, expressionistic style. Shore's work may have been influenced by Georgia O’Keeffe and Arthur Dove.
• Who influenced Mildred E. Bent?+

  Mildred E. Bent's artistic development occurred in the context of early California modernism. Instructor Rex Slinkard at the Art Students League influenced Nick Brigante's early interest in Chinese watercolours and philosophy. This evolved into a more contemporary, abstract aesthetic. Although Brigante shared Macdonald-Wright’s interest in Asian philosophy and art, he never fully embraced his teacher's extreme modernist aesthetic and technical colour theories. Henrietta Shore, who had established a local reputation for a colourful, expressionistic style, also influenced progressive Los Angeles art circles. Shore's style recalled the work of Robert Henri of the Ash Can School, but in brighter tonalities influenced by California light. Shore was perhaps influenced by several radical modernists working there, including Georgia O’Keeffe, who had been transforming flowers and shells into monumental abstractions since 1915; Arthur Dove, who began to abstract plant forms even earlier; and the enthusiasts of Precision-ism, a new art of hard edges and lines practiced by Charles Demuth and Charles Sheeler.
• Who was Mildred E. Bent?+

  Mildred Emily Bent (1864-1952) was a British painter and printmaker. She is best known for her wood engravings and watercolours. Bent was born in Liverpool, and she studied at the Liverpool School of Art. There, she was a pupil of Robert Anning Bell. Bent was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement. This aesthetic movement favoured traditional craftsmanship using simple forms, often with medieval, romantic, or folk styles of decoration. She was also a member of the Liverpool Academy of Arts. Bent exhibited widely, including at the Royal Academy, the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, and the Society of Women Artists. Her work often featured rural subjects. These included landscapes and scenes of country life. Bent's prints display considerable technical skill and a sensitivity to the textures of the natural world. Her prints are held in several public collections, including the British Museum. She died in Birkenhead in 1952.
• Why are Mildred E. Bent's works important today?+

  Mildred E. Bent (1864-1953) was a British painter and printmaker. Her works are important today for several reasons, mainly relating to their representation of women in art and their contribution to British printmaking. Bent's artistic career developed at a time when opportunities for women artists were expanding, although still limited. Her success in creating and exhibiting her work provides insight into the experiences of women artists during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bent studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, an institution that was relatively progressive in admitting women. Bent's prints, often featuring domestic scenes and portraits, offer a view into Edwardian middle-class life. These depictions of women, children, and interiors provide valuable social commentary. Her work also demonstrates skill in various printmaking techniques, including etching and aquatint. Examples can be found in the collections of the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, confirming her status as a significant figure in British printmaking history. Her prints are collected for their aesthetic qualities and their historical value.