| ||||||||||
For Pittsburgh painter Alfred H. Bennett, art was a sideline to his primary occupation as a manufacturer of men's trousers. Bennett studied at the University of Pittsburgh and with prominent Pittsburgh artist Christian J. Walter. He was a member of and successful exhibitor with the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, winning the Carnegie Institute Prize in 1933 for the best group of three or more paintings with Depression in Our Mills, Downtown, and Houseboats. In 1936, two works by Bennett were included in the 3rd Carnegie Institute summer exhibit of selected artists from the annual Associated Artists of Pittsburgh show. In the first, Brady Street Bridge, he utilized the structure of the bridge to frame a view of the river and mills. In the second painting, Mrs. R.B. Mellon's Exhibit, Phipps Conservatory, Bennett uses the design of a glass roof as an important factor in his composition.
Bennett's fascination with modern construction methods as an element of design and compositional tool can readily be seen in his 1934 work, Rhythm of Structural Steel. Captured in the bright light of mid-day, the great semi-circular archway of the suspension bridge serves as a frame for the skyscrapers of downtown Pittsburgh. Bundled support cables serve as a strong diagonal to draw the eye from the upper left corner back into the depth of the scene. In the lower right, figures are positioned to establish a sense of scale.
In the 1938 exhibition of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, Bennett received the Third Honor and Prize award for his Rondo Capriccio, a trompe l'oeil painting of a violin and piece of sheet music hung on a wooden door. Described as a "technical tour de force of painting grained wood, iron and parchment," it is reminiscent of the work of William Harnett and John F. Peto.
The Steidle Collection's second work by Bennett, Cinder Dump, represents a break from the artist's interests in structure and illusionism. Illuminated by moonlight and set against a background of dark blues, a load of cinders from the mills is being dumped from a string of rail cars, still glowing and rendered in a fiery mixture of bright yellows, reds and oranges. It has been noted that cinder dumps like the one pictured here were always burning, as each load had barely enough time to cool before another trainload was dumped on top of it.
Sources:
Daschbach, Albert C., "Behind the Pictures by the Associated Artists," with illustration of Houseboats, Carnegie Magazine, vol. 6, February 1933, pp. 259-264.
"Harsh Criticism's Mark Pittsburgh's 23rd Annual Exhibition," Art Digest, vol. 7, March 1933, p. 7.
O'Connor, John Jr., "The Artist and the Community, An Exhibition of Paintings by Pittsburgh Artists," Carnegie Magazine, vol. 10, June 1936, pp. 72-77.
Hovey, Walter Read, "The Pittsburgh Show," with illustration of Rondo Capriccio, Carnegie Magazine, vol. 11, February 1938, pp. 271-277.
Falk, Peter Hastings (edit.). Who Was Who in American Art. Madison, CT: Sound View Press, 1985.
This document copyright © 1996, Eric John Schruers