Frank Weston Benson, "Eleanor"

Frank Weston Benson, Eleanor, 1907; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

This is Frank Weston Benson's portrait of his daughter Eleanor. The photo above is from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where the work is located. The museum's photo really doesn't need any improvements, but sadly, altered versions such as the one below have been seen in circulation. The digitally revised image clearly suffers from too much contrast and sharpening. Everything looks sketchy, there are blotches where there used to be detail, and changes have flattened rather than enhanced the sense of open space and distance. Excessive editing has also reduced the beautiful naturalism of the work, obscuring much of the artist's handling of light, color and detail. The museum notes that the artist "used a small brush to define Eleanor's features, painting her realistically with an authentic sense of weight and volume."

Altered version of a painting by Frank Weston Benson

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