William James Bennett (1787 - May 14, 1844) was a British-born American painter and engraver best known for his aquatint views of landscapes and cities. Bennett was born in London and studied at the Royal Academy, under William Westall (1781 - 1850), among others. He gained a position with the medical staff of the army to undertake sketches during military assignments in Egypt and the Mediterranean. Bennett came to the United States in 1826 and quickly established himself as a talented artist, exhibiting a variety of works and receiving a positive reception. He joined the recently-established National Academy of Design and prepared multiple paintings and prints of scenes of New York City. Bennett also undertook a series of paintings of scenes in Upstate New York, including a series on Niagara Falls, which were then printed as aquatints, as well as a series of eighteen aquatint views of American cities. In 1988, Gloria-Gilda Deák, an expert on American views and prints, published an exhibition catalog for the New York Public Library titled William James Bennett: master of the aquatint view, which remains an invaluable resource on his life and work.
