Benoni Irwin
Encyclopedia
Benoni Irwin was an American portraitist.
A pupil of the National Academy of Design
in New York City
, USA, he trained in Paris
with the famous French portraitist Emile Auguste Carolus-Duran (1838–1917). His work was shown in the Exposition Universelle
at Paris in 1889, and the Chicago World's Fair
in 1893. Irwin had studios in San Francisco, New York
, and Baltimore
.
, Canada
to Jared Irwin (1803–1873) and Lydia Kennedy (1807–1871) and moved to upstate New York as a young man. His family were Quakers, originally from the Scottish Borders. The Canadian Irwins were Late Loyalists, i.e. those loyal to the British Crown who emigrated to Canada after the American Revolution had ended. Members of the Irwin family fought against the US during the War of 1812. Despite their participation in the Rebellion of 1837, Benoni Irwin was patronized by a Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, thus launching his career.
He was a pupil of the National Academy of Design in New York City from 1861 to 1863 and trained in Paris with the famous French portraitist Emile Auguste Carolus-Duran (1838 – 1917) from 1867 to 1869. He returned to the United States
by 1870, where he spent time in Louisville, Kentucky
and San Francisco (where he resided for five years) throughout the 1870s and 1880s.
In 1873, while in California, Irwin married Adelaide (Adela) Vellejo Curtis (May 29, 1853–1932). She was the daughter of Lucian Curtis, a copper plate engraver and farmer, born in Coventry, Connecticut
and Celia Carlton Perkins, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The Curtis family had come to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush
in 1849 and, at one time, lived in the famous Rancho Petaluma Adobe
owned by General Mariano Vallejo, a family friend.
Irwin and his wife, Adela, had two children, Edith C. (1874–1925) and Constance (b. 1885).
By the 1880s, Irwin and his wife and daughters were living in Yonkers, New York
. They had a second home on the shore of Coventry Lake, Connecticut
, which the family would visit during the summer. The Irwins were frequent guests of Adela's aunt, Charlotte Curtis Dean, a life long Coventry resident. It was here in 1896 that Irwin, while taking photographs of the sunset from a round bottom boat, lost his balance and fell into the lake. Postmortem revealed that Irwin had drowned after being knocked unconscious by hitting his head on the edge of the boat as he fell.
Benoni Irwin is buried with his wife, Adela, and daughter, Edith, in Nathan Hale
Cemetery, Coventry, CT.
A pupil of the National Academy of Design
National Academy of Design
The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, USA, he trained in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with the famous French portraitist Emile Auguste Carolus-Duran (1838–1917). His work was shown in the Exposition Universelle
Exposition Universelle (1889)
The Exposition Universelle of 1889 was a World's Fair held in Paris, France from 6 May to 31 October 1889.It was held during the year of the 100th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, an event traditionally considered as the symbol for the beginning of the French Revolution...
at Paris in 1889, and the Chicago World's Fair
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
in 1893. Irwin had studios in San Francisco, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.
Personal life
Benoni Burdeau Irwin was born in 1840 in Newmarket, OntarioNewmarket, Ontario
Newmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to Jared Irwin (1803–1873) and Lydia Kennedy (1807–1871) and moved to upstate New York as a young man. His family were Quakers, originally from the Scottish Borders. The Canadian Irwins were Late Loyalists, i.e. those loyal to the British Crown who emigrated to Canada after the American Revolution had ended. Members of the Irwin family fought against the US during the War of 1812. Despite their participation in the Rebellion of 1837, Benoni Irwin was patronized by a Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, thus launching his career.
He was a pupil of the National Academy of Design in New York City from 1861 to 1863 and trained in Paris with the famous French portraitist Emile Auguste Carolus-Duran (1838 – 1917) from 1867 to 1869. He returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by 1870, where he spent time in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and San Francisco (where he resided for five years) throughout the 1870s and 1880s.
In 1873, while in California, Irwin married Adelaide (Adela) Vellejo Curtis (May 29, 1853–1932). She was the daughter of Lucian Curtis, a copper plate engraver and farmer, born in Coventry, Connecticut
Coventry, Connecticut
Coventry is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 11,504 at the 2000 census. The birthplace of Captain Nathan Hale, Coventry is home to the Nathan Hale Homestead, which is now a museum open to the public....
and Celia Carlton Perkins, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The Curtis family had come to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
in 1849 and, at one time, lived in the famous Rancho Petaluma Adobe
Rancho Petaluma Adobe
Rancho Petaluma Adobe is the name of a historic ranch house built from adobe bricks that was owned and constructed by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, commandant of the Sonoma Pueblo from 1834 to 1857. It is the largest example of the Monterey Colonial style of architecture in the United States...
owned by General Mariano Vallejo, a family friend.
Irwin and his wife, Adela, had two children, Edith C. (1874–1925) and Constance (b. 1885).
By the 1880s, Irwin and his wife and daughters were living in Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
. They had a second home on the shore of Coventry Lake, Connecticut
Coventry Lake, Connecticut
Coventry Lake is a census-designated place in the town of Coventry, Connecticut in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,914 at the 2000 census. The CDP includes the residential areas around Wangumbaug Lake.-Geography:...
, which the family would visit during the summer. The Irwins were frequent guests of Adela's aunt, Charlotte Curtis Dean, a life long Coventry resident. It was here in 1896 that Irwin, while taking photographs of the sunset from a round bottom boat, lost his balance and fell into the lake. Postmortem revealed that Irwin had drowned after being knocked unconscious by hitting his head on the edge of the boat as he fell.
Benoni Irwin is buried with his wife, Adela, and daughter, Edith, in Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale was a soldier for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City but was captured by the British...
Cemetery, Coventry, CT.
Miscellaneous
- In 1870, while in Louisville, KY, Irwin lived with American artist Andrew Fisher Bunner (1841–1897), landscape and marine painter
- Irwin was the brother-in-law of American artist Mary Curtis RichardsonMary Curtis RichardsonMary Curtis Richardson was an impressionist painter and known as the "Mary Cassatt of the West". Her father, Lucien Curtis went overland to the gold fields of California in 1849...
(1848–1931), known as the Mary CassattMary CassattMary Stevenson Cassatt was an American painter and printmaker. She lived much of her adult life in France, where she first befriended Edgar Degas and later exhibited among the Impressionists...
of the west - Irwin was a close friend of John MuirJohn MuirJohn Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
, who helped develop Yosemite as a national park.
Portraits
(partial list)- John Henry Clifford (1809–1876), Governor of the CommonwealthCommonwealth (United States)Four of the constituent states of the United States officially designate themselves Commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia....
of MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 1853–1854 - Joshua A. NortonJoshua A. NortonJoshua Abraham Norton , the self-proclaimed Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I, was a celebrated citizen of San Francisco, California, who in 1859 proclaimed himself "Emperor of these United States" and subsequently "Protector of Mexico".Born in England, Norton spent most of his early life in South...
, a.k.a. His Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I, self-proclaimed "Emperor of the United States and Protector of MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
" - Edward C. Messer, head of the Corcoran Gallery of ArtCorcoran Gallery of ArtThe Corcoran Gallery of Art is the largest privately supported cultural institution in Washington, DC. The museum's main focus is American art. The permanent collection includes works by Rembrandt, Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent, Claude Monet, Pablo...
in Washington, DC (Metropolitan Museum of ArtMetropolitan Museum of ArtThe Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
collection) - Charles H. Farnham, writer
- Judge David Curtis Sanford (died 1864), of New Milford, ConnecticutNew Milford, ConnecticutNew Milford is a town in southern Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States north of Danbury, on the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly . The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates...
, member of state senateConnecticut SenateThe Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 94,600 inhabitants. Senators are elected to two-year terms without term limits...
, 1854; superior court judge in Connecticut, 1854-64 - Emily Bull Sanford, wife of Judge David Curtis Sanford
- William Diamon Black, New Milford, CT resident, son-in-law of Judge David Curtis Sanford
- Carolin Wilson Cooke, Kentucky resident
- Alice Lee Cooke, Kentucky resident
- Thomas Prather Jacob, son of prominent Louisville, KY businessman John Jeremiah Jacob and brother of Richard Taylor JacobRichard Taylor JacobRichard Taylor Jacob was 17th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky .-Background and Early Life:Richard Taylor Jacob was born in Oldham County, Kentucky into a locally influential family...
, Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant governorA lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
of Kentucky (1863-64) - Thomas Newcomb (1843–1906), first president of the Bohemian ClubBohemian ClubThe Bohemian Club is a private men's club in San Francisco, California, United States.Its clubhouse is located at 624 Taylor Street in San Francisco...
, San Francisco; secretary to the Governor of New YorkGovernor of New YorkThe Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her... - Charles Warren StoddardCharles Warren StoddardCharles Warren Stoddard was an American author and editor.-Life and works:Charles Warren Stoddard was born in Rochester, New York on August 7, 1843. He was descended in a direct line from Anthony Stoddard of England, who settled at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1639...
(1843–1909), American author - Oliver Frazer (1808–1864), Kentucky portrait and miniature painter
- George T. Bromley, prominent San Francisco resident
- Philadelphia Pearson Irwin, his aunt, of Newmarket, Ontario
- Thomas Hughes Irwin, his uncle, also of Newmarket
- Matriarch in Green Velvet (1894). Oil on canvas
- Portrait Of Frederic Remington (1891). Oil on canvas (In the collection of the National Academy of Design)
- Portrait Of A Child In Blue (1880). Oil on canvas
- Portrait Of China Tea Trade Captain Hathaway (1881). Oil on canvas
- Portrait Of A Female Artist (1886). Oil on canvas
- Portrait Of A Young Woman (1883). Watercolor
- The Lute Player. Oil on canvasboard