Frank W. Benson-wildlife artist

[jack benson]

My wife collects antique wildlife prints and etchings. She's gotten a number from Frank W. Benson and reading a book, I find that he was more than just an artist.

He was also an archer who made his own bows for himself, family and friends. He was said to have been able to put 2 out of 5 arrows into the bulls eye at 100 yds. While he and his family seemed to be more into target archery (his daughter took her bow to college), he must have done some bow fishing as a story is related to putting some arrows into a shark. Benson worked mostly with lemonwood and yew and a few of his bows still exist.

Benson was a fisherman and hunter and one of the earliest American artists who worked in the field of wildlife arts...multiple medias of oil, watercolors, etchings.

There is a reference to a watercolor he painted, entitled "The Bow Man". We've been looking for it on the internet without success. If anyone has any information about this painting, it would sure be appreciated.

Thanks