Prior to photography, topographical artists created popular images of cities, towns and rural landscapes. William James Bennett portrayed many major American cities accurately and elegantly during a period of peace and relative prosperity. As artist and master engraver, he helped to establish an American school of city-view makers when the international art market, in pursuit of the "picturesque" had a growing interest in foreign scenery.

Bennett was born in England in 1787 and entered the Royal Academy of Art in London having been sponsored by watercolor artist Richard Westall. He was successful in his studies but enrolled in the British forces in 1803. During the next three years of his assignment he traveled the Mediterranean and sketched and drew expansive watercolors of the foreign landscapes.

On his return he became a founding member of the Association of Artists in Water-Colours and received many commissions to illustrate books with aquatints. He moved to New York in 1826 and settled in the city were he became a member of the National Academy of Design. For the rest of his life he was considered one of the premier landscape artists and he received many honors.

Medium : The original serves as the master for reproduction

Created/Published : L.P. Clover, Publisher, New York, 1838

Creator : William James Bennett, artist, 1787 - 1838

Housed in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress

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Product #: ppmsca01033