Benson lovingly portrays his daughters as angelic idealizations of youth sitting in quiet repose at their coastal Maine farm. While young Elizabeth and Sylvia gaze upon a basket of nasturtiums, the eldest Eleanor turns away from the viewer, absorbed in her own thoughts. Bathed in golden light, this serene moment of leisure conveys the artist’s affection for his maturing daughters and awareness of their fleeting childhood. Utilizing his skills en plein air, or outdoors, Benson captures their likenesses, personalities and interactions with the world around them.

Frank Weston Benson, 1907,
Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA, 11/29/19