One of the foremost American Impressionists of the 21st century, artist Ben Fenske is known for his bold, energetic brushstrokes and signature use of vivid colors. His figurative paintings, still-lifes and interiors are flooded with warm natural light and dazzle in their wealth of blues, greens and soft violets.
Born in 1978, Fenske grew up in the small rural town of St. Joseph, Minnesota. His interest in art began at an early age. When he was 12 years old, Fenske would spend a minimum of two hours each day drawing and painting, working with charcoal, watercolors, acrylics and pastels. His passion for art broadened in high school, leading him to attend the Minnesota River School of Fine Art at age 18. There, he studied under artists including Joseph Paquet and Darren Rousar.
Following a brief stint as a graphic designer, Fenske studied in Minneapolis at the Bougie Studio, learning figure drawing and cast drawing from artist Peter Bougie. Later, when he was in his early 20s, Fenske decided to go to Florence, Italy, to study painting and drawing at the Florence Academy of Art.
While in Florence, Fenske became inspired by French Impressionism of the 19th and 20th centuries as well as Old Masters paintings and Russian and Soviet art — notably the works of brothers Aleksei and Sergei Tkachev.
For more than a decade, Fenske divides his time between Sag Harbor, New York, and Italy’s Tuscan hills, where he draws inspiration for his landscapes from the surrounding countryside. In addition to his paintings, Fenske has a considerable portfolio of portrait drawings and nude sketches. He has also delved into figurative sculpture, such as the bronze Wild Boar, which he created with artist Richard Zinon.
Fenske regularly exhibits throughout the United States, including annually at the Grenning Gallery in the Hamptons. In 2016, he participated in the “BP Portrait Award Exhibition” at the National Portrait Gallery in London. He was also named by American Artist magazine as one of the “Best 25 Living Artists” in 2012.
On 1stDibs, find a range of Ben Fenske paintings, drawings and sculptures.
"Pony and Groom" 2014 oil painting on wood, impressionist sketch, equestrian
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Pony and Groom" is an unframed, oil on wood panel, contemporary impressionist painting. Painted during the 2014 Wellington Winter Equestrian Festival. Center stage, stands a fit, br...
Oil, Wood Panel
$9,000
"Fish (Naselli)" oil painting, market fish in paper wrap, impressionist painting
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil on canvas painting of two fish, unwrapped atop a rustic table. Ben Fenske (b. 1978) although a native of Minnesota, and has been working and living in Sag Harbor, New York an...
Canvas, Oil
The Derby, Wellington FLA
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A gestural painting of a horse and rider landing from jumping an oxer in a large green field in sunny Florida.
Oil, Panel
$2,500
"Horse Sketch" impressionistic painting on panel of horse being washed by person
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil on wood panel sketch of a horse, on a sunny day. The horse stands before a bright green field. Wood panel remains exposed as your eye drifts away from the center of the painti...
Oil, Panel
$30,000
"Golf" oil painting, woman leaning on Fiat car with black dog in Tuscany, Italy
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Golf" is a plein air oil painting of a woman leaning against her Fiat with her dog in Tuscany, Italy. Her dog sits at attention while she is relaxed. Framed in a custom italian go...
Linen, Oil, Canvas
Hunt Slonem "Home Run" Bunnies on Gold
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem "Home Run" Bunnies on Gold A rabbit couple gestured in black on a white and metallic background in a vintage frame Unframed: 17.5 x 21 inches Framed: 26 x 29.5 x 3.5 inc...
Oil, Panel
Majestic, Oil Painting
By Karen Barton
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A powerful buffalo strides into view, its massive form radiating strength and dignity. In this oil painting, artist Karen Barton captures not only the animal’...
Oil
"Family Meeting, " Oil Painting
By Clyde Steadman
Located in Denver, CO
Clyde Steadman's "Family Meeting" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts four rubber ducks gathered together
Oil
Bird. 2019, hardboard, oil, 41x28 cm
By Dmitry Lavrentjev
Located in Riga, LV
Bird. 2019, hardboard, oil, 41x28 cm
Oil, Cardboard
Feline Good, Oil Painting
By Jeff Fleming
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Jeff Fleming captures a cat in its playful nature. Bathed in a soft morning light, this furry tabby frolics in a field of sweet peas, possibly chasing ...
Oil
$3,650
H 18 in W 24 in
Lisa Palombo, "Secretariat 31 Lengths", Horse Race Equine Acrylic Painting
By Lisa Palombo 1
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This colorful equine impressionist painting, "Secretariat 31 Lengths" by artist Lisa Palombo is a 18x24 acrylic sketch on watercolor paper. Depicted is a ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Finds and Replicas, Oil Painting
By Onelio Marrero
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero captures a moment inside an antiques shop, where a man browses lamps, pictures, and replicas of Frederic Remington bronzes. The interior i...
Oil
$670Sale Price|62% Off
H 28.35 in W 36.23 in D 2.37 in
Impressionist:, School of Pierre Bonnard, signed oil 1950's
Located in Frome, Somerset
A fine large oil, school of Pierre Bonnard. circa 1950's. oil on canvas 55cmx75cm The original wood and textured gesso frame 72cmx92cm Titled 'On the Window Sill'. Indistinctly sign...
Oil
$2,800Sale Price|42% Off
H 12 in W 15 in
Mid-Century "The Horse Race" Pierre Bosco #50 B (Italy/France, 1909-1993)
By Pierre Bosco
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Mid-Century "The Horse Race" #50 B Pierre Bosco (Italy/France, 1909-1993) Oil on canvas Signed lower right. 15 x 12 inches, frame size “The savage art of Bosco bears its rudeness a...
Canvas, Oil
The Line That Doesn't Hold
By Natalia Yangalycheva
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work, the artist explores the idea of boundaries as something fluid rather than fixed. What appears as a division is, in fact, a space of transition — a place where control a...
Canvas, Acrylic
$250
H 6 in W 6 in
"Little Busker" by Shawn Sullivan, Oil Painting of Gray Bird in Busker's Case
By Shawn Sullivan
Located in Denver, CO
Shawn Sullivan's (US Based) "Little Busker" is an original, handmade oil painting in the trompe-l'œil style that depicts a grey bird perched in a busker's red lined case surrounded b...
Oil, Panel
Side by Side
By Natalia Yangalycheva
Located in Zofingen, AG
The artwork is shipped stretched on wooden stretcher bars and arrives ready to hang. The painting depicts a solitary figure walking alongside a horse, their bodies aligned in a shar...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sold
H 10 in W 14 in
"Conch Shell" contemporary impressionist oil painting of seashell, peach tones
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Conch Shell" is a contemporary impressionist oil painting of seashell with peach and blue tones. A shell from the East End of Long Island in summer. Artist Bio Ben Fenske (b. 1978)...
Oil
Pony Standing
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An impressionistic painting of a pony from a side view.
Oil
Girl, Dog, Early Summer
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A large scale, horizontally oriented oil painting of a figure at rest in the grass, a dog beside her. The largest canvas in his 2021 solo show, “Girl, Dog, Early Summer...
Canvas, Oil
Training at Spycoast
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted during the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. A black and white depiction of an equestrian field, a single horse ridden by a figure is the main subject....
Paper, Gouache
Sold
H 25.5 in W 31.5 in
"Horse Standing" Contemporary realist oil painting by American Impressionist
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of a brown horse, standing on green grass on a sunny day. Painted en plein air, after days of studying and sketching, Ben Fenske captured the correct proportions and ...
Linen, Oil
Polo Pony, Sketch
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Framed dimensions: 17.5 x 21.5 inches An impression of a horse, standing on the grass in the sun, before a trailer which is attached to a pick-up truck. Ben Fenske (b. 1978) althou...
Oil
Horseshoe Crab
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted from life, a creature that dates back to prehistoric times. Horseshoe Crabs are known to inhabit the waters of the North-East United States, so ...
Linen, Oil
Horseshoe Crab, Green
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted from life, a creature that dates back to prehistoric times. Horseshoe Crabs are known to inhabit the waters of the North-East United States, so ...
Linen, Oil
Horseshoe Crab, Blue
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted from life, a creature that dates back to prehistoric times. Horseshoe Crabs are known to inhabit the waters of the North-East United States, so ...
Oil, Panel
Polo Wellington
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Ben Fenske (b. 1978) although a native of Minnesota, and has been working and living in Sag Harbor, New York and Florence, Italy for the last 7 years. An oil painter in the spirit ...
Linen, Oil