Jane Benham Hay
Encyclopedia
Jane Benham (also Jane Benham Hay and Jaine Benham Hay) was a prominent female painter and illustrator of the Victorian period. She was associated with two important artistic movements of the mid-nineteenth century: the Pre-Raphaelite painters of Britain, and the Macchiaioli
of Italy.
Jane Benham was born in London
in 1829 to a family of iron and metal workers
. She travelled to Munich in 1850 with her friend Anna Mary Howitt
(1824–1884). Together, they hoped to engage in serious study of drawing and painting. After their arrival in Munich
, it became clear to them that women would not be permitted to study at the Academy in Düsseldorf
. Undeterred, they approached Wilhelm von Kaulbach
, then the director of the Academy, and requested the privilege of private study in his studio. He agreed, and permitted them to work in his studio at liberty, although it is not clear how much formal instruction he gave them. Jane stayed in Munich until December 1850, when she was compelled to return to London. Anna Mary remained in Munich for two full years, returning to London in 1852. Upon her return, she compiled her diary and personal letters into a text, An Art Student in Munich, which was published in 1853 and reissued in 1880. In this text, Anna Mary uses the pseudonym Clare to refer to Jane Benham.
Jane married artist William Hay in 1851 and they had a son the following year. However, their marriage did not last long and Jane left London to move to Florence in the mid-1850s. Around the same time, she met Francesco Saverio Altamura (b.1822 or 1826- d. 1897), a painter in the budding school of the Macchiaioli, the early Italian impressionists. They married and had two children together.
Jane Benham Hay exhibited at the Royal Academy
in 1848, 1849, 1859, 1861, and 1862. Her two entries of 1859, England and Italy and Portrait of a Boy in Florentine Costume, established her reputation. Painted just prior to the unification of Italy, England and Italy was a powerful statement in favor of democratic unification, as well as a compelling work of art. John Ruskin
noted that both works were "masterly complete in effect,". although he did not care for the political overtones. In 1867 Jane achieved her greatest professional success with The Florentine Procession, also known as The Burning of the Vanities, which was exhibited by Henry Wallis
at the French Gallery in London. This painting is now in the collection of Homerton College, Cambridge
.
Her later life is not well documented, and her date of death is not known.
Macchiaioli
The Macchiaioli were a group of Italian painters active in Tuscany in the second half of the nineteenth century, who, breaking with the antiquated conventions taught by the Italian academies of art, did much of their painting outdoors in order to capture natural light, shade, and colour...
of Italy.
Jane Benham was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1829 to a family of iron and metal workers
Metalworking
Metalworking is the process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large scale structures. The term covers a wide range of work from large ships and bridges to precise engine parts and delicate jewelry. It therefore includes a correspondingly wide range of skills,...
. She travelled to Munich in 1850 with her friend Anna Mary Howitt
Anna Mary Howitt
Anna Mary Howitt was an English painter, writer and feminist.-Artist and feminist:...
(1824–1884). Together, they hoped to engage in serious study of drawing and painting. After their arrival in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, it became clear to them that women would not be permitted to study at the Academy in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
. Undeterred, they approached Wilhelm von Kaulbach
Wilhelm von Kaulbach
Wilhelm von Kaulbach was a German painter, noted mainly as a muralist, but also as a book illustrator. His murals decorate buildings in Munich.-Education:...
, then the director of the Academy, and requested the privilege of private study in his studio. He agreed, and permitted them to work in his studio at liberty, although it is not clear how much formal instruction he gave them. Jane stayed in Munich until December 1850, when she was compelled to return to London. Anna Mary remained in Munich for two full years, returning to London in 1852. Upon her return, she compiled her diary and personal letters into a text, An Art Student in Munich, which was published in 1853 and reissued in 1880. In this text, Anna Mary uses the pseudonym Clare to refer to Jane Benham.
Jane married artist William Hay in 1851 and they had a son the following year. However, their marriage did not last long and Jane left London to move to Florence in the mid-1850s. Around the same time, she met Francesco Saverio Altamura (b.1822 or 1826- d. 1897), a painter in the budding school of the Macchiaioli, the early Italian impressionists. They married and had two children together.
Jane Benham Hay exhibited at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
in 1848, 1849, 1859, 1861, and 1862. Her two entries of 1859, England and Italy and Portrait of a Boy in Florentine Costume, established her reputation. Painted just prior to the unification of Italy, England and Italy was a powerful statement in favor of democratic unification, as well as a compelling work of art. John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
noted that both works were "masterly complete in effect,". although he did not care for the political overtones. In 1867 Jane achieved her greatest professional success with The Florentine Procession, also known as The Burning of the Vanities, which was exhibited by Henry Wallis
Henry Wallis
Henry Wallis was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter, writer and collector.Born in London on 21 February 1830, his father's name and occupation are unknown. When in 1845 his mother, Mary Anne Thomas, married Andrew Wallis, a prosperous London architect, Henry took his stepfather's surname. His...
at the French Gallery in London. This painting is now in the collection of Homerton College, Cambridge
Homerton College, Cambridge
Homerton College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England.With around 1,200 students, Homerton has more students than any other Cambridge college, although less than half of these live in the college. The college has a long and complex history dating back to the...
.
Her later life is not well documented, and her date of death is not known.