Zola's definition of a work of art as a 'corner of nature seen through a temperament' could hardly be more appropriate than in the case of Mildred Bendall. Using painting as a meditative activity, Bendall applied colour as a means of expressing her feelings. Having trained in Bordeaux, Bendall's real formation took place in Paris in 1927. Here, Fauvist influences became apparent in her work whilst attending the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, where she met Albert Marquet and befriended Henri Matisse.

Bendall's expressive flower paintings featured in the Galerie de Paris alongside the works of Kees Van Dongen and Raoul Dufy. Having refused an offer of marriage from Paul Matisse, Bendall returned to Bordeaux where she arranged to exhibit the work of her Fauvist friends as part of an initiative to rejuvenate the conservative Bordeaux art scene. Bendall was a revered member of various avant-garde groups and was a founding member of The Société des Artistes Indépendants and Le Studio groups, the first to offer life drawing and painting classes in Bordeaux.

Whitford Fine Art has represented the Bendall Estate since 1987.