Ben Austrian (1870-1921)
Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Born in Reading, this self-taught artist won international recognition for his paintings of barnyard and woodland creatures, still lifes, and landscapes. He was the creator of the famed Bon Ami chick. Ben Austrian had studios in Paris and Florida and at Mount Penn, but the place he loved most was "Clovelly-at-the-Pinnacle" nearby, where he died at the age of fifty-one. The artist is buried here.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Born in Reading in 1870, Ben Austrian was a largely self-taught painter who won international fame for his lifelike renderings of barnyard fowl, woodland creatures, still lifes, and landscapes. His most famous creation, the little chick of the Bon Ami cleanser advertisements, became one of the era's best-known commercial images. Austrian kept studios in Paris, Florida, and at Mount Penn, but his heart belonged to his beloved retreat "Clovelly-at-the-Pinnacle" near here, where he died in 1921 and is buried.
Why it matters
Austrian's work bridged fine art and popular commercial imagery at the turn of the century, and the Bon Ami chick remains a small, enduring piece of American advertising folklore.
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Themes & tags
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