A Wladyslaw Benda Masterpiece

A spectacular piece of art by golden-age illustrator Wladyslaw Benda (1873 - 1948), and one of the pieces that motivated me to begin collecting golden-age illustration. I only use the “masterpiece” designation for those pieces that I believe represent the best of the best of an artist’s body of work. This one certainly fits the bill.

It’s hard to describe how beautiful this art is in person. The detail, lighting, and dramatic subject matter all speak for themselves. But at the end of the day, it is just a beautiful thing. Completely absorbing. If I saw this displayed in a major art museum I wouldn’t blink an eye.

I first saw this art about twenty years ago when I visited the collection of Richard Kelly, one of the country’s premier collectors of American illustration. It was this piece and a couple others in the Kelly collection that convinced me to start selling off my comic book art and begin collecting illustration. Over the years, Richard and I have become friends, and recently he graciously agreed to let this one go. Score!

Benda worked as an illustrator for many of the major publications of the early twentieth century. While he is not as well known now as some of his contemporaries (Rockwell, Lyendecker, Wyeth, Booth, etc), back in the day he was as famous as all of of them. Benda has become one of my favorites from the era, and this piece explains why. 18” x 18”, mixed media on paper. From the Kelly Collection of American Illustration Art.