The name Bentley, while perhaps not instantly synonymous with a singular, towering figure in the annals of art history in the same vein as a Michelangelo or a Rembrandt, nonetheless threads its way through various important junctures of artistic and architectural development, particularly in Britain and America. The information provided points to several individuals named Bentley, each contributing to the cultural landscape in their own distinct manner. Primarily, the focus often gravitates towards John Francis Bentley, an architect of considerable renown, especially for his magnum opus, Westminster Cathedral in London. However, to do justice to the breadth of the "Bentley" contribution, we must also explore other figures, including a diligent diarist and early art collector in Salem, Massachusetts, and other artists bearing the name, to paint a fuller picture.
The Architectural Vision of John Francis Bentley
When discussing John Bentley in the context of major architectural achievements, particularly those from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Britain, John Francis Bentley (1839–1902) is the pivotal figure. While the initially provided dates (1880-1951 for a John William Bentley) might point to a different individual or a confusion, the significant works mentioned, such as the Notting Hill churches and the design of Westminster Cathedral, are unequivocally the legacy of John Francis Bentley. His work is a fascinating confluence of historical reverence, meticulous craftsmanship, and a profound understanding of liturgical needs, all hallmarks of the period's architectural revivals but with a unique personal stamp.
Born in Doncaster, John Francis Bentley's early life and training set him on a path that would distinguish him as a leading ecclesiastical architect. He converted to Roman Catholicism in his early twenties, a decision that would profoundly shape his career, leading to numerous commissions from the Catholic Church, which was experiencing a period of revival and expansion in England. His architectural education was not through formal university programs, which were less common for architects at the time, but through apprenticeships, most notably with the firm of Clutton and Burges, where he worked under Henry Clutton. This experience exposed him to the prevailing Gothic Revival style, championed by architects like Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, George Gilbert Scott, and William Burges himself. However, Bentley was not one to merely imitate. He absorbed the principles but sought his own voice.
Early Works and Developing Style
Before embarking on his most famous project, Bentley undertook several significant commissions that showcased his evolving style and his meticulous attention to detail. He designed St Mary of the Angels, Bayswater, in London, a project that demonstrated his ability to work with complex sites and to create spaces of serene beauty. His work on the seminary, St. Thomas's at Hammersmith, further solidified his reputation.
A key aspect of Bentley's approach was his deep engagement with the Arts and Crafts movement, which emphasized the value of craftsmanship, the honest use of materials, and the integration of art into everyday life. This movement, spearheaded by figures like William Morris and Philip Webb, reacted against the perceived soullessness of industrial production. Bentley shared this ethos, believing that every element of a building, from its grand structural forms to its smallest decorative details, should be thoughtfully designed and executed. He often designed fittings, furnishings, and decorative schemes for his buildings, ensuring a harmonious and unified aesthetic. This holistic approach is evident in his designs for churches in the Notting Hill area, such as the Church of St Francis of Assisi. These projects, sometimes in collaboration or succession with architects like Henry Clutton, showed an evolution from earlier French Gothic influences towards a more mature, often English-inflected, Gothic or even Romanesque sensibility, always characterized by a profound understanding of material and space.
His enthusiasm for color and the inherent beauty of natural materials like marble and stone was a defining characteristic. He believed that these materials, thoughtfully employed, could elevate a space and inspire devotion. This sensitivity to material and color would reach its zenith in his designs for Westminster Cathedral.
Westminster Cathedral: A Byzantine Masterpiece in London
The commission for Westminster Cathedral, the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, came in 1894. This was to be Bentley's defining work. Cardinal Herbert Vaughan, who commissioned the cathedral, desired a building that would be distinct from the Gothic style of Westminster Abbey, thereby avoiding direct comparison and asserting a unique Catholic identity. After much consideration and travel, Bentley opted for an Early Christian Byzantine style, drawing inspiration from churches in Ravenna and Venice, such as San Vitale and St. Mark's Basilica.
This choice was audacious and brilliant. The Byzantine style, with its emphasis on vast, uninterrupted interior spaces, soaring domes, and rich mosaic decoration, was well-suited to the liturgical requirements of a major cathedral. It also offered a distinct visual language. Bentley threw himself into the project with characteristic intensity, traveling to Italy to study Byzantine architecture firsthand. He meticulously planned every aspect of the cathedral, from its massive brick and concrete structure – a pioneering use of unreinforced concrete for such a large-scale project – to the intricate details of its proposed mosaic scheme.
The scale of Westminster Cathedral is immense: a nave wider than that of any other church in England, punctuated by a series of saucer domes. The exterior, with its striking bands of red brick and Portland stone, its towering campanile (St. Edward's Tower), and its complex massing, is an unmistakable London landmark. Bentley envisioned the interior to be gradually encrusted with marble and mosaic over decades, creating a shimmering, otherworldly effect. He believed that the structure itself should be sound and noble, and the decoration could follow as funds allowed, a practice common in the building of medieval cathedrals.
Tragically, John Francis Bentley died in 1902, before his vision for Westminster Cathedral could be fully realized. While the main structure was largely complete, the vast mosaic scheme he had planned was only just beginning. Nevertheless, his detailed drawings and instructions guided much of the subsequent work. Artists and craftsmen like Nathaniel Hubert John Westlake, who had collaborated with Bentley on other projects, were involved in realizing some of the early mosaics. The chapels within the cathedral, many completed by other architects and artists following Bentley's general principles, showcase a rich variety of marbles and mosaics, hinting at the splendor he envisioned for the entire space. The Chapel of the Holy Souls and the Lady Chapel, for instance, offer glimpses of this intended richness.
Bentley's work on Westminster Cathedral stands as a testament to his genius. It is a building of profound spiritual power, architectural ingenuity, and enduring beauty. It also represents a significant moment in the Arts and Crafts movement, demonstrating how its principles could be applied to a project of monumental scale. His commitment to quality craftsmanship and integrated design resonated with the ideals of contemporaries like C.F.A. Voysey, Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott, and even the early work of Edwin Lutyens, who, while developing his own grand classical style, shared an appreciation for material and craft.
The Broader Context: Victorian and Edwardian Architectural and Artistic Currents
John Francis Bentley worked during a period of immense artistic ferment. The High Victorian Gothic, championed by architects like George Edmund Street and William Butterfield, was a dominant force, characterized by muscular forms, polychromy, and a moralistic approach to design. Bentley, while rooted in this tradition, moved towards a more refined and eclectic sensibility.
The art world was equally dynamic. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and William Holman Hunt, had challenged academic conventions earlier in the century, advocating for a return to the sincerity and detail of early Renaissance art. Their influence, particularly their emphasis on symbolism and decorative richness, can be seen as part of the broader cultural milieu that informed the Arts and Crafts movement. Later, the Aesthetic Movement, with figures like James McNeill Whistler and Albert Moore, prioritized "art for art's sake," focusing on beauty and sensory experience, often drawing inspiration from Japanese art and classical forms.
Painters like Lord Frederic Leighton and Lawrence Alma-Tadema achieved enormous popularity with their grand classical and historical scenes, while George Frederic Watts pursued more allegorical and symbolic themes. The rise of the New English Art Club, with artists such as Walter Sickert and Philip Wilson Steer, signaled a growing engagement with French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, bringing a new modernity to British painting. Bentley's own focus on integrated decorative schemes, particularly the planned mosaics for Westminster, connected him to a long tradition of artists working in architectural contexts, from the medieval period to contemporaries like Edward Burne-Jones, whose stained glass and tapestry designs for William Morris's firm were integral to the Arts and Crafts interior.
A Different Bentley: William Bentley of Salem – Diarist and Collector
To shift our focus across the Atlantic and to an earlier period, we encounter another notable individual: Reverend William Bentley (1759–1819) of Salem, Massachusetts. While not primarily an architect or a professional painter in the conventional sense, William Bentley was a figure of considerable cultural importance in post-Revolutionary America, and his activities touched upon the arts in significant ways.
Educated at Harvard College (graduating in 1777), William Bentley became the minister of the East Church in Salem in 1783, a position he held for the rest of his life. He was a polymath: a linguist, scholar, theologian, journalist, and, most famously, a diarist. His extensive diaries, spanning from 1784 to 1819, provide an unparalleled window into the social, political, religious, and cultural life of New England during this formative period. They are a treasure trove for historians, filled with observations on local and national events, scientific advancements, maritime news, and, crucially for our purposes, the daily lives and even the gossip of Salem's inhabitants.
Within these diaries, Bentley meticulously recorded details about his surroundings, including art and artists. He was an avid collector of books, manuscripts, coins, and natural history specimens, creating what was essentially a private museum. He also collected portraits and other artworks, demonstrating an early American interest in preserving visual records and fostering artistic taste. He is noted as being one of Salem's "first artists," though this likely refers more to his role as a connoisseur, patron, and perhaps an amateur sketcher, rather than a professional artist in the mold of his contemporaries like Gilbert Stuart, John Singleton Copley, or Charles Willson Peale, who were establishing a distinctly American school of portraiture.
Bentley's "gallery" of portraits, which he displayed, included likenesses of prominent New England figures. This act of collecting and displaying was itself a cultural statement, contributing to the development of an American artistic consciousness. His interest in art was not merely passive; he commented on the quality of works, the skills of artists, and the role of art in society. His records of local craftsmen, including silversmiths and furniture makers, also contribute to our understanding of the broader material culture of the time.
William Bentley's unique lifestyle, his intellectual curiosity, and his dedication to recording the world around him make him a fascinating figure. His diary entries, with their mix of meteorological data, obituaries, and personal opinions on commerce and community, paint a vivid picture of a man deeply engaged with his time and place. His appreciation for nature, his musical talents (playing the piano and imitating animal sounds), and his resilience, such as walking six miles in a blizzard, add further dimensions to his character.
Other Artistic Bentleys and the Legacy
The name Bentley continues to appear in artistic contexts. For instance, Charles Bentley (1805/6–1854) was a British watercolour painter, known for his marine scenes and coastal views. He exhibited at the Society of Painters in Water Colours and was skilled in capturing the atmospheric effects of sea and sky, working in a tradition of British landscape and marine painting that included artists like J.M.W. Turner and Richard Parkes Bonington, though Charles Bentley's work was perhaps more modest in scope. He also worked as an engraver, contributing to illustrated books, a common practice for artists of his time seeking to disseminate their work.
The information provided also mentions a contemporary William Bentley, a New York-based artist involved in a 2024 exhibition. This demonstrates the persistence of the name in the art world, though this individual belongs to a much later generation and a different artistic milieu, likely working with contemporary mediums and concepts.
Conclusion: A Multifaceted Contribution
In assessing the contribution of "John William Bentley" or, more broadly, figures named Bentley to the art world, we find a diverse tapestry. The architectural achievements of John Francis Bentley, particularly Westminster Cathedral, represent a monumental contribution to British architecture and the Arts and Crafts movement. His ability to synthesize historical styles with modern construction techniques and a profound spiritual sensibility resulted in buildings of lasting power and beauty. His dedication to craftsmanship and the integration of art and architecture places him among the significant figures of his era, alongside contemporaries who shaped the visual landscape of Britain.
The earlier William Bentley of Salem offers a different kind of contribution: that of the chronicler, collector, and cultural facilitator. His diaries preserve invaluable information about early American life and art, and his personal collections helped to foster an appreciation for the arts in a young nation. He stands as an important figure in the intellectual and cultural history of New England.
While perhaps not forming a single, cohesive "school" or dynasty, the various Bentleys who have engaged with architecture and the visual arts demonstrate the many ways individuals can contribute to the cultural fabric. From the grand designs of a cathedral architect to the meticulous records of a diarist and the evocative watercolours of a marine painter, the name Bentley is associated with a dedication to craft, a keen observation of the world, and a desire to create or preserve beauty and meaning. Their stories, though distinct, collectively enrich our understanding of artistic endeavor across different times and places. John Francis Bentley's architectural legacy, in particular, continues to inspire awe and admiration, a testament to a singular vision realized in stone, brick, and mosaic.
