Home > William Behnes

Born in London, Behnes was the son of a Hanoverian pianoforte-maker and his English wife. His early life was spent in Dublin where he studied art at the Dublin Academy.

After the family returned to London, Behnes continued his artistic training, studying at the Royal Academy School of Art from 1813. As a painter, he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1815 and won several medals during the ensuing years. In 1819 he won a Society of Arts gold medal for inventing an instrument to assist sculpture work, having by this time begun to practice successfully as a sculptor.

In 1837 Watts was appointed 'Sculptor in Ordinary' to Queen Victoria. His pupils included noted sculptors George Frederic WattsGeorge Frederic Watts ( 23 February, 1817 1 July, 1904; sometimes spelt 'George Frederick Watts') was a popular English Victorian painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolist movement. Watts became famous in his lifetime for his allegorical works, s and Thomas WoolnerThomas Woolner ( 1825- 1892) was a British sculptor and poet. He was a founder-member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Woolner trained with the sculptor William Behnes, exhibiting work at the Royal Academy from 1843. Woolner's classical inclinations wer, and naturalistNatural history is an umbrella term for what are now usually viewed as a number of distinct scientific disciplines. Most definitions include the study of living things (e. biology, including botany and zoology); other definitions extend the topic to inclu Benjamin Waterhouse HawkinsBenjamin Waterhouse Hawkins ( 8 February 1807- 1889) was an English sculptor and natural history artist renowned for combining both in his work on the life-size models of dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park, Sydenham, south London. He was also a noted lectur.

He produced many busts of children, reliefs and also some notable church monuments and statues, including ones of Dr Churchill BabingtonChurchill Babington ( 11th March, 1821- 1889) was an English classical scholar and archaeologist, born at Roecliffe, in Leicestershire. He studied under Charles Wycliffe Goodwin, the orientalist and archaeologist, entering St John's College, Cambridge in in St Paul's CathedralAlternative meanings: St Paul's Cathedral (Macau), St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne St Paul's Cathedral is a cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London in London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. The present building dates from the 17th century, and Major-General Sir Henry HavelockMajor-General Sir Henry Havelock ( 5 April 1795 24 November, 1857) was a British general. He was born at Ford Hall, Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland, the son of a wealthy shipbuilder, and educated at Charterhouse. He joined the army as a 20-year-old and went t (believed to be the first statue based on a photograph, two casts were made - one is today situated in Trafalgar Square, London, the other in Mowbray Park, Sunderland) and several of Sir Robert Peel (including ones situated in Leeds, Peel Park in Bradford, and at the police college in Hendon in north-west London). Other subjects included: Thomas Arnold, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Benjamin West and George Cruikshank.

Despite this success, he was financially inept and was declared bankrupt in 1861, and died in poverty.