Born:
1817
New Ipswich, New Hampshire

Died:
1907
Woburn, Massachusetts

Biography:
Born in New Hampshire, Benjamin Champney began his career as a lithographer in Boston, but became a renowned landscape, portrait and floral painter. He was especially associated with scenes of the White Mountains of New Hampshire and described by one art historian as the "dean of the White Mountain painters" (Falk).

He was early encouraged by the highly acclaimed Washington Allston, who persuaded him to study in Europe. In 1841, he took the first of numerous European trips, which usually included Italy and Paris, and the early travels inspired him to paint landscapes.

In 1846, he returned to Europe to paint a panorama of the Rhine River, and two years later returned to the United States because of the revolution in France. About 1850, he began painting landscapes in America and spending his summers on the Saco River at North Conway, New Hampshire, and winters at Woburn, Massachusetts.

His landscapes subjects were usually the North Conway region of New Hampshire and his method was to combine detail with panorama. He spent many summers sketching in the White Mountains and the remainder of the year in his studio doing oil paintings from his sketches. Many of his floral works were directly from nature.

He was also appreciated for his encouragement of aspiring artists, and in North Conway taught many classes applying Hudson River School painting techniques to the New Hampshire landscape. He was also a founder of the Boston Arts Club and exhibited widely in Boston and New York. His autobiography is titled: "Sixty Years' Memories of Art and Artists."

Credit: Michael David Zellman, "300 Years of American Art", Peter Falk, "Who Was Who in American Art"