Mildred Bendall French, 1891-1977
Rabbits, 1930
Gouache and watercolour
48 x 63 cm
Signed with studio stamp verso
Currency:
Bendall was born into a bourgeois family of English descent, whose public display of formality contrasted with their private preferences for non-conformism and true informal family affection. Born in 1891,...
Bendall was born into a bourgeois family of English descent, whose public display of formality contrasted with their private preferences for non-conformism and true informal family affection. Born in 1891, Bendall’s parents had chosen to nurture their daughter’s qualities of independence, individuality, and sense for adventure.
Between 1910 and 1914, Bendall studied painting at the Bordeaux Ecole des Beaux-Arts and also attended private lessons with the prominent local artist Félix Carme. Her early works reflect the Chardinesque style of her instructor and align with the dominant Academic traditions of the period. In 1914, her painting 'Coin de salon bordelais' received first prize at the Peinture au Palmarès de l’Union Féminine de Bordeaux, with critics describing it as 'worthy of Félix Carme.' This work exemplifies the preferences of the local bourgeoisie and stands in marked contrast to the avant-garde movements emerging in Paris at the time. However, it demonstrates Bendall’s strong foundation in drawing, technique, and composition, qualities that would later be recognized by Henri Matisse and Albert Marquet.
After completing her formal training, Bendall traveled throughout France, producing drawings and paintings of regional landscapes and architecture. She visited the Cote d’Azur, the Alps, the Dordogne, and the Périgord. During summers at her family's holiday residence in l’Herbe, a village in the Bassin d’Arcachon, she created several notable post-impressionist coastal works. While residing in Bordeaux, she continued to produce traditional still-life paintings. Works from this period were exhibited at the Bordeaux ‘Salon des Beaux Arts’, and in 1919 the Bordeaux ‘Musée des Beaux-Arts’ acquired her painting Roses dans un Vase.
In 1920, Bendall was admitted to the ‘Salon des Artistes Français’ in Paris, an achievement that contributed to her relocation to Paris between 1927 and 1928. Her studies at the ‘Académie de la Grande Chaumière’ in Montparnasse marked a significant transformation in her artistic style. The academy operated as an open institution, permitting artists to work independently. This environment attracted Eastern European émigrés and prominent French avant-garde painters such as Georges Braque, Alberto Giacometti, Pablo Picasso, Georges Rouault, Fernand Léger, Albert Marquet, and Henri Matisse, who collectively formed the nucleus of the group later identified as the ‘Ecole de Paris’.
Bendall's association with Matisse had a profound and enduring impact on her artistic development. She was particularly influenced by his ‘Fauve’ principles, which emphasized the use of color to construct form, space, and emotional expression. Following an unwelcome marriage proposal from Matisse’s son Paul, she returned to Bordeaux. There, Bendall encouraged her students to suggest space and volume through color rather than by adding black or white, as was customary at the ‘Ecole des Beaux Arts’, and to select colors that evoke their personal sensations.
Guided by Matisse, Bendall emerged as a significant figure in the Bordeaux avant-garde. She established a dynamic exchange between Bordeaux and Paris. In 1928, she co-founded the ‘Artistes Indépendents bordelais’ to challenge traditional Academism. Her leadership encouraged artists such as Bonnard, Braque, Utrillo, Matisse, and Picasso to participate in its annual exhibitions. In 1929, Bendall also co-founded ‘Le Studio’, an independent academy modeled after the ‘Académie de la Grande Chaumière’ in Paris, which was the first institution to offer life-drawing classes in Bordeaux.
Bendall maintained regular visits to Paris to sustain professional relationships. In 1937, the Galerie de Paris included her work in the ‘Jeune France’ exhibition, alongside paintings by Kees Van Dongen, Raoul Dufy, and Max Jacob. The Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris acquired her painting ‘Bouquet à la table ronde’.
After the Second World War and until her death in 1977, Bendall further developed her artistic style by incorporating lyrical abstraction. Her compositions frequently drew inspiration from crustaceans, leaves, and the sails of yacht regattas. Concurrently, she maintained a focus on figuration, producing distinctive underwater scenes featuring exotic fish and depictions of La Rochelle harbour.
Throughout her career, Bendall consistently emphasized color and strong composition, producing paintings that are richly decorative and visually sumptuous. These works reflect her appreciation of nature and its harmonious qualities. Her artistic vision aligns with Charles Baudelaire’s description: Là, tout n’est qu’ordre et beauté, luxe, calme et volupté.
During September 2022 - February 2023, the Bordeaux Fine Arts Museum held an overview show of women artists in their collection, including Bendall. At the same time, the Municipality of Bordeaux has decided to name the street connecting Rue de la Louisiane and Boulevard Jean Jacques Bosc after her.
Whitford Fine Art has handled the Estate of Mildred Bendall since 1985.
Public collections include
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux
Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris
Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2015, The Painting of Mildred Bendall and Georges Bernede, Whitford Fine Art, London (6 March - 7 April)
2009, Mildred Bendall, Galerie du Post-Impressionisme, Paris.
2008, Mildred Bendall (1891-1977): a Retrospective Exhibition, Partridge Fine Art, London (1-26 April).
1998, Mildred Bendall: Exhibition of Selected Paintings, Watercolours and Drawings, Whitford Fine Art, London (6 -29 May).
1996, A Retrospective Exhibition of Paintings by Mildred Bendall, Whitford Fine Art, London (6 June - 5 July).
1987, Mildred Bendall: An Exhibition of Selected Works from the Artist’s Studio, Whitford and Hughes, London (19 Oct. - 27 Nov)
1981, Mildred Bendall 1891-1978: Rétrospective, Peintures, Société Artistique de la ville de Mérignac, Mérignac (24 April - 30 May).
1961, Galerie du Fleuve, Bordeaux (Studies of Eyzies Grottos).
1960, Peintures récentes de Mildred Bendall, Galerie du Fleuve, Bordeaux (8 - 23 Oct).
1958, Mildred Bendall, Galerie de l’Ami des Lettres, Bordeaux.
1955, Mildred Bendall, Galerie de l’Ami des Lettres, Bordeaux (3 - 16 Dec).
1954, Bendall, Bateaux-Bouquets, Galerie de l’Ami des Lettres, Bordeaux.
1951, Mildred Bendall, Galerie de l’Ami des Lettres, Bordeaux.
1942, Bendall, Galerie Chappe-Lautier, Toulouse.
1937, 25 Bouquets de Mildred Bendall, Galerie de Paris, Paris (5 - 20 May).
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023, Les Artistes femmes bordelaises, Bordeaux Fine Arts Museum, Bordeaux.
1978, Homage to four recently deceased artists: Mildred Bendall, Jean Figeac, Louis-Jean Laboué and Gaston Marty, Société Septemvir, Bordeaux and Monségur.
1961, Cheval, Galerie du Fleuve, Bordeaux; Fleurs, Galerie du Fleuve, Bordeaux; Hommage aux Provinces Francaises, Casino Bellevue, Biarritz.
1960, L’eau, Galerie du Fleuve, Bordeaux.
1955, Le Regard, Bordeaux.
1955, Salon des Indépendants bordelais, Société des Artistes Indépendants, Bordeaux.
1944, Salon des Provinces françaises, Paris.
1944, Salon des sociétés artistiques de Bordeaux, Bordeaux.
1935, Salon des Amis des Arts, Bordeaux.
1927, Salon des Artistes français, Paris.
1914, Salon de l’Union Féminine, Bordeaux.
Between 1910 and 1914, Bendall studied painting at the Bordeaux Ecole des Beaux-Arts and also attended private lessons with the prominent local artist Félix Carme. Her early works reflect the Chardinesque style of her instructor and align with the dominant Academic traditions of the period. In 1914, her painting 'Coin de salon bordelais' received first prize at the Peinture au Palmarès de l’Union Féminine de Bordeaux, with critics describing it as 'worthy of Félix Carme.' This work exemplifies the preferences of the local bourgeoisie and stands in marked contrast to the avant-garde movements emerging in Paris at the time. However, it demonstrates Bendall’s strong foundation in drawing, technique, and composition, qualities that would later be recognized by Henri Matisse and Albert Marquet.
After completing her formal training, Bendall traveled throughout France, producing drawings and paintings of regional landscapes and architecture. She visited the Cote d’Azur, the Alps, the Dordogne, and the Périgord. During summers at her family's holiday residence in l’Herbe, a village in the Bassin d’Arcachon, she created several notable post-impressionist coastal works. While residing in Bordeaux, she continued to produce traditional still-life paintings. Works from this period were exhibited at the Bordeaux ‘Salon des Beaux Arts’, and in 1919 the Bordeaux ‘Musée des Beaux-Arts’ acquired her painting Roses dans un Vase.
In 1920, Bendall was admitted to the ‘Salon des Artistes Français’ in Paris, an achievement that contributed to her relocation to Paris between 1927 and 1928. Her studies at the ‘Académie de la Grande Chaumière’ in Montparnasse marked a significant transformation in her artistic style. The academy operated as an open institution, permitting artists to work independently. This environment attracted Eastern European émigrés and prominent French avant-garde painters such as Georges Braque, Alberto Giacometti, Pablo Picasso, Georges Rouault, Fernand Léger, Albert Marquet, and Henri Matisse, who collectively formed the nucleus of the group later identified as the ‘Ecole de Paris’.
Bendall's association with Matisse had a profound and enduring impact on her artistic development. She was particularly influenced by his ‘Fauve’ principles, which emphasized the use of color to construct form, space, and emotional expression. Following an unwelcome marriage proposal from Matisse’s son Paul, she returned to Bordeaux. There, Bendall encouraged her students to suggest space and volume through color rather than by adding black or white, as was customary at the ‘Ecole des Beaux Arts’, and to select colors that evoke their personal sensations.
Guided by Matisse, Bendall emerged as a significant figure in the Bordeaux avant-garde. She established a dynamic exchange between Bordeaux and Paris. In 1928, she co-founded the ‘Artistes Indépendents bordelais’ to challenge traditional Academism. Her leadership encouraged artists such as Bonnard, Braque, Utrillo, Matisse, and Picasso to participate in its annual exhibitions. In 1929, Bendall also co-founded ‘Le Studio’, an independent academy modeled after the ‘Académie de la Grande Chaumière’ in Paris, which was the first institution to offer life-drawing classes in Bordeaux.
Bendall maintained regular visits to Paris to sustain professional relationships. In 1937, the Galerie de Paris included her work in the ‘Jeune France’ exhibition, alongside paintings by Kees Van Dongen, Raoul Dufy, and Max Jacob. The Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris acquired her painting ‘Bouquet à la table ronde’.
After the Second World War and until her death in 1977, Bendall further developed her artistic style by incorporating lyrical abstraction. Her compositions frequently drew inspiration from crustaceans, leaves, and the sails of yacht regattas. Concurrently, she maintained a focus on figuration, producing distinctive underwater scenes featuring exotic fish and depictions of La Rochelle harbour.
Throughout her career, Bendall consistently emphasized color and strong composition, producing paintings that are richly decorative and visually sumptuous. These works reflect her appreciation of nature and its harmonious qualities. Her artistic vision aligns with Charles Baudelaire’s description: Là, tout n’est qu’ordre et beauté, luxe, calme et volupté.
During September 2022 - February 2023, the Bordeaux Fine Arts Museum held an overview show of women artists in their collection, including Bendall. At the same time, the Municipality of Bordeaux has decided to name the street connecting Rue de la Louisiane and Boulevard Jean Jacques Bosc after her.
Whitford Fine Art has handled the Estate of Mildred Bendall since 1985.
Public collections include
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux
Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris
Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2015, The Painting of Mildred Bendall and Georges Bernede, Whitford Fine Art, London (6 March - 7 April)
2009, Mildred Bendall, Galerie du Post-Impressionisme, Paris.
2008, Mildred Bendall (1891-1977): a Retrospective Exhibition, Partridge Fine Art, London (1-26 April).
1998, Mildred Bendall: Exhibition of Selected Paintings, Watercolours and Drawings, Whitford Fine Art, London (6 -29 May).
1996, A Retrospective Exhibition of Paintings by Mildred Bendall, Whitford Fine Art, London (6 June - 5 July).
1987, Mildred Bendall: An Exhibition of Selected Works from the Artist’s Studio, Whitford and Hughes, London (19 Oct. - 27 Nov)
1981, Mildred Bendall 1891-1978: Rétrospective, Peintures, Société Artistique de la ville de Mérignac, Mérignac (24 April - 30 May).
1961, Galerie du Fleuve, Bordeaux (Studies of Eyzies Grottos).
1960, Peintures récentes de Mildred Bendall, Galerie du Fleuve, Bordeaux (8 - 23 Oct).
1958, Mildred Bendall, Galerie de l’Ami des Lettres, Bordeaux.
1955, Mildred Bendall, Galerie de l’Ami des Lettres, Bordeaux (3 - 16 Dec).
1954, Bendall, Bateaux-Bouquets, Galerie de l’Ami des Lettres, Bordeaux.
1951, Mildred Bendall, Galerie de l’Ami des Lettres, Bordeaux.
1942, Bendall, Galerie Chappe-Lautier, Toulouse.
1937, 25 Bouquets de Mildred Bendall, Galerie de Paris, Paris (5 - 20 May).
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023, Les Artistes femmes bordelaises, Bordeaux Fine Arts Museum, Bordeaux.
1978, Homage to four recently deceased artists: Mildred Bendall, Jean Figeac, Louis-Jean Laboué and Gaston Marty, Société Septemvir, Bordeaux and Monségur.
1961, Cheval, Galerie du Fleuve, Bordeaux; Fleurs, Galerie du Fleuve, Bordeaux; Hommage aux Provinces Francaises, Casino Bellevue, Biarritz.
1960, L’eau, Galerie du Fleuve, Bordeaux.
1955, Le Regard, Bordeaux.
1955, Salon des Indépendants bordelais, Société des Artistes Indépendants, Bordeaux.
1944, Salon des Provinces françaises, Paris.
1944, Salon des sociétés artistiques de Bordeaux, Bordeaux.
1935, Salon des Amis des Arts, Bordeaux.
1927, Salon des Artistes français, Paris.
1914, Salon de l’Union Féminine, Bordeaux.
Provenance
The Estate of the Artist
Mildred Bendall Estate Inventory Number 1170
Exhibitions
Salon des Artistes Independants bordelais, Bordeaux, 1930, cat. no. 61.Join our mailing list
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