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.
"Chase Creek" Oil Painting, Neo-Impressionist Landscape, Signed, Framed
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of a local road on Shelter Island, NY by Ben Fenske. Painted with Fenske's wide, urgent brushstrokes in his neo-impressionist style. An asphalt road stretches along t...
Linen, Oil
Newborn Oil Painting of Woman with Baby, Signed, Framed
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of a woman holding her baby, walking along a dirt road in Tuscany, Italy. Signed "Ben Fenske" on recto, lower right. Clad in an Italian custom-made Gold leaf fram...
Oil, Canvas
"Cooks Lane" Oil Painting, Neo-Impressionist Landscape, Signed, Framed
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of Cooks Lane, a road passing through Watermill, NY by neo-impressionist Ben Fenske. A lone white pick-up truck drives down a narrow asphalt road, stretches of farmla...
Canvas, Oil
$44,500
"Secret Beach Panorama in Early Autumn" - oil painting, Hamptons Seascape clouds
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Secret Beach Panorama in Early Autumn" is an oil painting by American Impressionist Ben Fenske. A large scale composition of a Sag Harbor beach vista. The foreground shows green gra...
Linen, Oil
$46,300
"Montauk" Oil painting, Seaside Landscape, Seagulls, Signed, & framed in gold
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A large panoramic landscape painting of Montauk, NY by neo impressionist Ben Fenske. Signed "Ben Fenske" on recto, lower left. Clad in an Italian custom-made Gold leaf frame. Fr...
Canvas, Oil
"Morning Walk" impressionist Tuscan landscape near the Fenske's home
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Morning Walk" impressionist Tuscan landscape near the Fenske's home. An important canvas exhibited in his 2021 solo show, "Morning Walk" is a celebration...
Canvas, Oil
$36,000
"Secret Beach, Late Afternoon” Oil painting, impressionist seascape Sag Harbor
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Secret Beach, Late Afternoon” is an oil painting on canvas by contemporary American painter, Ben Fenske. It depicts a beach view with a light blue cloudy sky, green beach grass, and...
Canvas, Oil
$12,250
"Campagne II" Oil Painting, Italy Landscape, Neo-Impressionist, Signed, Framed
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of an Italian landscape by Ben Fenske. Painted with Fenske's wide, urgent brushstrokes in his neo-impressionist style. A dirt road meanders through the french country...
Linen, Oil
$12,800
"Soft Yellow Sunset" contemporary impressionist oil painting, abstract seascape
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Soft Yellow Sunset" is a contemporary impressionist oil painting of the sun setting over Noyack Bay in Sag Harbor, New York. Fenske works in a loose-im...
Linen, Oil, Canvas
$36,000
"Secret Beach, Clouds" - oil painting, Sag Harbor beach with sailboats, framed
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Secret Beach, Clouds" is an oil painting on canvas by American Neo-Impressionist Ben Fenske. It depicts a Hamptons beach view with a sandy shoreline in the foreground, green grass, ...
Oil, Canvas
"Boats Moored at Secret Beach" 2023 impressionist plein air landscape in NY
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of boats at rest as seen from Secret Beach in Sag Harbor. "Secret Beach" is the name Ben Fenske has given to his favorite painting spot in Sag Harbor, NY. A place he ...
Canvas, Linen, Oil
"Violet Horizon II" Neo Impressionist seascape on Long Island, en plein air
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Violet Horizon II is a Neo Impressionist Landscape painted en plein air in Long Island, NY. Artist Bio Ben Fenske (b. 1978) although a native of Minnes...
Canvas, Linen, Oil
$28,500
"Water, Roses, Window, Table" bright and airy contemporary impressionist scene
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Water, Roses, Window, Table" is a bright and airy contemporary impressionist scene. A large oil painting of an open window's view to the outdoors, painted from an interior of the artist's home in Tuscany. Situated in the kitchen, facing the window, the walls and room appear dark, as they are backlit from the bright daylight streaming in. A small glass vase of roses sit centrally in our view, on the table's surface, glowing with blue light. A small tumbler, or glass of water, sits in the foreground, almost lost within Fenske's loose, wild brushstrokes. Urgent, loose brushstrokes connote impressionism, and bring to mind modern...
Canvas, Oil, Linen
“Road, House” impressionist oil painting, Italy, cool tones, signed & framed
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting by Contemporary painter Ben Fenske. A view of his property in Tuscany, the dirt road leading up to the house is flanked by various trees, a cypress, an olive tree, an...
Canvas, Oil
$15,500
“Sunset with Lavender Sky” American impressionist landscape painting, cool tones
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting by Ben Fenske of the sun setting over the sea. Painted with Fenske's thick, urgent brushstrokes in his neo-impressionist style. This oil painting is currently unstr...
Linen, Oil
Road, Vermont
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An impressionistic painting of a wintery Vermont.
Linen, Oil
$1,500
"Long Beach Study" oil painting on wood panel, color value sketch, yellow, blues
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted en plein air in Sag Harbor, NY. A favorite local beach to watch the sunset over Noyac Bay. Painted on wood panel with loose brushstrokes, an impressionist painting that is ne...
Oil, Panel
$14,000
"Sailboat" contemporary impressionist oil painting of boat on the beach, summer
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Sailboat" is a contemporary impressionist oil painting of boat on the beach, in summer. Painted en plein-air in Sag Harbor, New York. A single sailboat rests on the shore of a quiet...
Canvas, Oil
"Boat Yard, Lifting Fog" oil painting, American realist, Ben Fenske, framed
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted en plein-air at a marina on Long Island. An old time fishing boat is the central subject, viewed from the bow. A small rowboat rests in the foreground. A couple of fishing sh...
Linen, Oil
$42,500
"Summer" Neo Impressionist landscape of Fiat driving along Tuscan countryside
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Tuscan Summer is preserved in this Neo impressionist style oil painting. A woman in a Fiat drives along the dirt road with the windows down, enjoying the fresh air. The landscape inc...
Canvas, Oil, Linen
$19,500
"Lilacs" Oil Painting, Flowers, Plein Air, Impressionist Style, 31.5x43.3 inches
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting by Ben Fenske. "Lilacs" is a luminous oil painting by American Impressionist Ben Fenske, one of the most celebrated contemporary realist painters working today. Set...
Canvas, Oil
$14,300
“Dering Harbor Sketch” oil painting, boats moored in bay of Shelter Island NY
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting by contemporary painter Ben Fenske, a seascape situated on Shelter Island. Painted en plein air amongst the elements of wind, sun, and sea salt in the air. Fenske use...
Canvas, Oil
$18,000
"Roses in the Sun" contemporary oil impressionist outdoor still life, Tuscany
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Roses in the Sun" is a contemporary impressionist still life painted in Tuscany en plein air. Two glass vases sit upon a ledge at the painter's 1000 year old farmhouse. Blossoms of ...
Linen, Oil
$11,000
"Fishing Hut" contemporary impressionist oil painting boat house, green and blue
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Fishing Hut" contemporary impressionist oil painting boat house in green and blue hues. An oil painting of a small shack in a marina in rich impre...
Linen, Oil
"Sunday Sunrise" oil painting on wood panel, impressions of colorful sky
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted en plein air in Tuscany, an early morning landscape painted at sunrise. The sky turns from a deep lilac on top, to a soft pink and bright pale yellow towards the horizon. A b...
Oil, Panel
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
"Blue Green Sunset and Snow in Florence" two sided painting Fenske color study
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A panel painting that is painted on both sides—one side an abstract sunset and the other side a snowy cityscape with Florence's famous Duomo in the background. Ben Fenske (b. 1978)...
Oil, Panel
Abandoned House
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An impressionistic painting of a recognizably Tuscan in the center of the rolling countryside.
Linen, Oil
$1,800
"Canal at Indian Mound Road" RARE Ben Fenske Gouache work on paper black & white
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted during the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. A black and white depiction of a canal, is barely recognizable, due to Fenske's wild brushstrokes and lack...
Paper, Gouache
$11,000
"Boathouse, Evening Light" contemporary impressionist oil painting en plein air
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Boathouse, Evening Light" is a contemporary impressionist oil painting, painted en plein air. A recognizable East Coast scene in the Fenske style. Ben Fenske (b. 1978) although a ...
Linen, Oil, Canvas
$11,000
Bea, Garden
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A contemporary oil painting of a woman standing in a garden. Wearing a printed orange dress, she almost blends into the colorful landscape which surrounds her. Tall wild grass sits i...
Oil, Linen
"Parked Panda" plein air painting of Fenske's Fiat in Tuscan landscape
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Parked Panda" is a plein air oil painting of Fenske's Fiat in Tuscan landscape, where he lives. Frame Dimensions 33 x 41in Ben Fenske (b. 1978) although a native of Minnesota, a...
Canvas, Oil, Linen
$2,500
"Sunset Sketch" 2016 small oil painting study for larger composition, in Italy
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted en plein-air in Chianti, Italy, a colorful sky cascades above a distant hillside, and the near foliage in the foreground. Ben Fenske (b. 1978) although a native of Minnesot...
Oil, Panel
$12,000Sale Price|20% Off
Tree
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A contemporary oil painting of a large, shapely tree in Florence, Italy. Bright green hues fill the canvas, in wide, urgent brushstrokes. A bright blue sky meets a distant horizon. ...
Canvas, Oil
Jess Panda, Sketch
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A contemporary oil painting of a woman stepping out of her small car, a Fiat Panda. Painted from life, shadows are purple and atmospheric. She's parked on bright green grass, in rura...
Canvas, Oil