Harry R. Bennett (1919-2012)

Award-winning painter and illustrator Harry R. Bennett, formerly of Ridgefield, Connecticut, died early Thursday, November 29, 2012 from complications of pneumonia at The VA Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. He had lived with his daughter, Pamela Bennett and wife Margaret Shean in Towson, Maryland.

Mr. Bennett was a commercial artist when he enlisted in the Army in November, 1940. He graduated from the Infantry Officer Candidate School in May 1942. Major Bennett was a veteran of the Hollandia operation, in which Gen. Douglas MacArthur's forces cut off the entire Japanese 18th Army, and in which Major Bennett himself won the Bronze Star.

In 1945, Mr. Bennett married Margaret Shean in Ridgefield, CT, where they lived until 1985. His wife encouraged him to follow his passion for painting. He attended The Art Institute of Chicago and The American Academy of Art Chicago. He would use his family and neighbors as models for over 1000 book covers and illustrations over the years.

Mr. Bennett was best known as an internationally published illustrator who painted large scale covers for the big publishers of the paperback industry at the time including, Simon and Schuster, Western Printing and Avon Press. He painted covers for various authors including Jude Deveraux, Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, and Victoria Holt. He also illustrated the first paperback edition of Mario Puzo's "The Godfather".

He was awarded a bronze metal by The New York Society of Illustrators for the ink paintings he created to illustrate a boxed collectors' edition of Dante's "Divine Comedy," published in 1966, in which he was granted him a one man show at The New York Public Library.

In 1986, Mr. Bennett retired from commercial work and traveled out West, settling in Astoria, OR, where his work continues to be exhibited. Jeannine Grafton, director of the RiverSea Gallery, remembers Bennett as a passionate, enthusiastic artist with a "youthful zest for life."

Harry was compassionate, warm and always interested in engaging with new people. Teri Sund, who was a good friend of Mr. Bennett's and helped run RiverSea Gallery before opening her own gallery, recalls, "He was the most honorable and graciously sincere human I have ever had the privilege to know. When Harry was in the room, their were no worries, we all felt safe and cared for when he was around."

Harry had a strong work ethic, and always wanted to be painting or preparing for a painting. He was a great mentor to young artists, including his daughter Deborah and Thomas who are also painters.

In 2008, he and his wife moved to Towson, MD.

Source: Taken in part from the obituary on the Legacy website

Submitted by: Richard Berenson

The following, submitted May 2005, is from Tom Bennett, the youngest son of the painter and illustrator Harry Bennett.

Harry Bennett was born in New York state, raised in Connecticut and studied painting and illustration at the American Academy of Art in Chicago after returning from a tour of duty in the South Pacific during World War II.

He began his commercial career creating advertising illustration for clients such as Pepsi-Cola and U.S.Keds. In the mid 1950's', tiring of the ad culture, he turned to painting covers for the paperback book industry. Bennett created literally thousands of covers over a 35-year career for publishers including Simon and Schuster and Avon Books, representing authors such as Agatha Christie and Mario Puzo.

In 1966 he produced over 100 paintings for an award-winning translation of "The Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri. He is credited with the creation of the Gothic novel illustration genre, and is considered the master painter of the style.