John Fitzhenry Bentz was born about 1857 in Dublin Ohio to William and Adaline (Fitzhenry), and was the oldest of 6 children.  He married Elizabeth McGrew in 1886
 
John was an artist, portrait painter, etcher, photographer and teacher. He was widely known throughout the U.S. as a restorer of Old Master paintings.  His first professional work was done in Columbus, in the photographic gallery of the late J.M. Elliott and L.M. Baker.
 
He studied at the Columbus Art School, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and New York Art Students League and was hired by the New York Art Commission on Jan 20, 1946 to clean paintings in City Hall.  He worked on John Trumbull's 1790 famous portrait of George Washington with castor oil.
 
John also restored paintings by Benjamin West, Samuel F.B. Morse, Rembrandt, Goya, Sargent and Van Dyck.  He created numerous portraits of Vanderbilts, Goulds, Morgans and Fahnestocks, and was known for his still lives, landscapes and portraits in watercolor, oil and pastels.
 
He won the Boardman Memorial Medal of the American Society's of Miniature Painters.
 
Served as the official painting restorer for the National Academy of Design.
 
A Member of the Columbus Cadets.
 
Was awarded the California Society of Miniature Painters, for a painting shown at a 1940 National Exhibition.
 
He and his wife had two children, and his daughter Elizabeth was taught by her father and finished some of his work after he passed away on August 1, 1950. 
 
Information courtesy of the artist's great-niece, Sheila Nocks