Wladislaw Theodore Benda
American illustrator, 1873–1948
He specialized in exotic fiction, and following the war, his illustrations appeared in Life, Vanity Fair, The Saturday Evening Post, Ladies’ Home Journal, Scribner’s, Vogue, and Collier’s, where he provided the definitive imagery for Sax Rohmer’s serialized Fu Manchu stories. His striking color covers were frequently dominated by languid women, and became so well known that the “Benda Girl” was immediately recognizable. Benda was also a renowned mask-maker, with his masks appearing in theatre and dance performances internationally and used as promotions for Hollywood movies. His book Masks was published in 1944 and they became in increasingly important aspect of his art making. Benda also illustrated numerous books throughout his career.
Person TypeIndividual
Terms
Polish artist, illustrator, 1883–1934
American painter, writer, and etcher, 1890–2002
Polish-French painter and engraver, 1862–1901
English printmaker, draftsman, and painter, 1901–1988
American painter, 1930–2020
American illustrator, 1888–1949, born in Poland
American painter, lithographer, etcher, 1863–1939
American illustrator, 1869–1940
