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Student Artwork Guide

The Open Window

Frank Weston Benson, 1917

Name Class Date
Frank Weston Benson, The Open Window (1917). Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Frank Weston Benson originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/frank-weston-benson/
Artist’s dates
1862 – 1951
Painted
1917
Original size
151 x 126 cm
Movement
Impressionism Painters working fast and outdoors to catch how light actually looked at one moment, rather than finishing smoothly in a studio.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Frank Weston Benson died in 1951; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2021.

Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Oct. 12, 2026

The Open Window — Frank Weston Benson Part 1 · The artwork

In context

The Open Window — Frank Weston Benson

How big is it?

The original measures 151 × 126 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When was this painted?

  1. 1860
  2. 1870
  3. 1880
  4. 1890
  5. 1900
  6. 1910
  7. 1920
  8. 1930
  9. 1940
  10. 1950

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 89 at death.

Painted when the artist was 55. The artist lived to 89. 28 of the 38 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Frank Weston Benson (1862–1951) ▲ this work, 1917 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1894 Main working years: 1894–1917 Late works: from 1917

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

  • Young Girl by a Window, 1911 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frank-weston-benson-young-girl-by-a-window-D693SG-en/
  • Two Boys originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frank-weston-benson-two-boys-8DP6A6-en/
  • Summer originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frank-weston-benson-summer-8DP69D-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/frank-weston-benson-the-open-window-D38QC9-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Quinacridone Magenta #7b6147

    Catalogued palette

    • #7B6147
    • #DEC69E
    • #B59B78
    • #977F60

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Neutrals The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Quinacridone Magenta
    Intensity
    Vivid How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Serene How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Unified Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Brilliant How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Frank Weston Benson over the last twelve months — 7 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 69.4%5,000 visits
    2. 2 United States of America 12.5%900 visits
    3. 3 United Kingdom 8.3%600 visits
    4. 4 Singapore 5.6%400 visits
    5. 5 Germany 1.4%100 visits
    6. 6 Iraq 1.4%100 visits
    7. 7 Vietnam 1.4%100 visits

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Frank Weston Benson

    1. 1 Two Boys 16.1%2,200 visits
    2. 2 Summer 10.9%1,500 visits
    3. 3 Young Girl by a Window, 1911 5.1%700 visits
    4. 4 Alice Bacon (Mrs. W. Sturgis H. Lothrop) 3.6%500 visits
    5. 5 Portrait of Amy Gordon Grant, 1896 2.2%300 visits
    6. 6 The Open Window, 1917 this painting 2.2%300 visits
    7. 7 Boating at Vinalhaven 2.2%300 visits
    8. 8 Sketch for a Mural, 1900 1.5%200 visits
    9. 9 Still Life, 1926 1.5%200 visits
    10. 10 Rainy Day, 1906 1.5%200 visits
    11. 11 Gertrude, 1899 1.5%200 visits
    12. 12 Self portrait, 1898 1.5%200 visits
    13. 13 Children in Woods 1.5%200 visits
    14. 14 Girls in the Garden 1.5%200 visits
    15. 15 Moonlight (also known as Moonlight on the Waters), 1901 1.5%200 visits
    16. 16 Miss Westinghouse (also known as Young Girl in White Dress), 1899 1.5%200 visits
    17. 17 Margaret Washburn Walker, 1886 1.5%200 visits
    18. 18 Water lilies, 1919 1.5%200 visits
    19. 19 The landing, 1915 1.5%200 visits
    20. 20 Still Life 1.5%200 visits

    Together these works take 61.8% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 176 works by this artist, of which 66 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 6 of them, with 2.2% of that attention (300 visits). The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Oct. 12, 2026

    The Open Window — Frank Weston Benson Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Frank Weston Benson

    Born in Salem, United States of America

    early life and education

    frank weston benson, an american artist from salem, massachusetts, was born on march 24, 1862. his early life was marked by a deep appreciation for the sea, inherited from his grandfather, captain samuel benson. this fondness for the ocean would later influence his artistic style.

    career and influences

    benson's artistic career began with studying at the school of the museum of fine arts in boston under otto grundmann in 1880. he then moved to paris in 1883 to study at the académie julien, where he was influenced by jules-joseph lefebvre, william turner dannat, and gustave boulanger. benson's work was also deeply influenced by johannes vermeer and diego velázquez, masters of the seventeenth-century.

    artistic style and notable works

    benson's style is characterized by his realistic portraits, american impressionist paintings, watercolors, and etchings. some of his most notable works include:

    summer, a depiction of his daughters outdoors at benson's summer home, wooster farm, on the island of north haven, maine.

    eleanor, a portrait showcasing his daughter, now housed in the museum of fine arts, boston.

    after the storm, an early work that marked his transition to impressionism.

    teaching and affiliations

    benson enjoyed a distinguished career as an instructor and department head at the school of the museum of fine arts, boston. he was also a founding member of the ten american painters, american academy of arts and letters, and the guild of boston artists.

    legacy and availability of work

    today, benson's work can be found in various museums and private collections. to explore more of his artwork, visit frank weston benson's page on AllPaintingsStore, where you can also find other artists like edwin augustus harleston and julian alden weir. for a deeper understanding of his influences, read about johannes vermeer and diego velázquez on wikipedia.

    view frank weston benson's artwork on AllPaintingsStore: summer

    explore american impressionism and its influences on wikipedia: american impressionism

    discover more about benson's life and work on AllPaintingsStore: frank weston benson

    important: this biography is based on the information available up to 2022 and may not reflect updates or new discoveries.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for The Open Window

    originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/frank-weston-benson-the-open-window-D38QC9-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Benson, Frank Weston. The Open Window. 1917, https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frank-weston-benson-the-open-window-D38QC9-en/
    APA
    Benson, Frank Weston (1917). The Open Window [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frank-weston-benson-the-open-window-D38QC9-en/
    Chicago
    Frank Weston Benson. The Open Window. 1917. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frank-weston-benson-the-open-window-D38QC9-en/
    Harvard
    Benson, Frank Weston (1917) The Open Window. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frank-weston-benson-the-open-window-D38QC9-en/

    Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Oct. 12, 2026

    The Open Window — Frank Weston Benson Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    The Open Window — Frank Weston Benson

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: domestic interior, quiet contemplation, window scene”. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Young Girl by a Window (1911), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Impressionism: Painters working fast and outdoors to catch how light actually looked at one moment, rather than finishing smoothly in a studio. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Oct. 12, 2026

    The Open Window — Frank Weston Benson Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    Are there works similar to "The Open Window"?

    The Similars page of "The Open Window" by Frank Weston Benson presents related artworks.

    Can I watch "The Open Window" as a full-screen slideshow?

    A slideshow is available: the Diaporama page of "The Open Window" by Frank Weston Benson.

    How can I get a digital file of "The Open Window" by Frank Weston Benson?

    "The Open Window" is available as a high-resolution digital image download, purchased directly on its Digital Image page.