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The prolonged legal dispute, lasting five years, between the heirs of the acclaimed American painter Thomas Hart Benton and a Kansas City bank, UMB Bank, has concluded with a favorable outcome for the bank. Benton’s family accused UMB Bank of inadequately managing his estate, selling artworks for less than their market value, and losing over 100 pieces. However, a Missouri judge has ruled in favor of the bank.
Judge Mark Styles, who presided over the case, declared that the bank did not breach its responsibilities towards Benton, who had entrusted it with his estate before passing away in 1975. The judge reported that only five items from Benton’s collection were unaccounted for by UMB Bank. These missing pieces were not major paintings but are believed to have been sketches or studies, as reported by KCUR-FM.
The litigation was initiated by Benton’s heirs, led by his daughter, Jessie Benton, who filed the lawsuit in 2019. They sought $85 million, alleging that over its 40-year tenure, the bank sold Benton’s artworks at undervalued prices without proper approval and infringed upon the estate's copyrights and licenses. The court awarded the family a modest $35,000, a small fraction of their initial demand. In response, the family’s attorney indicated they might consider an appeal.
UMB Bank’s chief legal officer, Amy Harris, expressed confidence in the integrity of the bank's longstanding management of Benton’s works. She stated, “From the beginning, we stood firm in our belief that Crosby Kemper and the UMB associates who worked on this Trust for over 40 years acted with integrity and in the best interests of the Trust.” Meanwhile, Kent Emison, the family’s lawyer, maintained that the Benton family remains confident in the validity of their claims against the bank.
Thomas Hart Benton, born in 1889, made significant contributions to American art, particularly in Kansas City’s Roanoke neighborhood. He journeyed across the Midwest, the South, and New York, creating murals for universities, corporations, and the U.S. government. His work often depicted the industrial transformations of the early 20th century, with a distinctive and dynamic style.
By the 1930s and 1940s, Benton became a leading figure in the Regionalism movement, with fellow artists like Grant Wood. This style favored realistic depictions of rural American life, contrasting with the then-popular abstract expressionism. Throughout his life, Benton created over 3,500 pieces, all eventually entrusted to the Benton Trust and UMB Bank.
In issuing his verdict, Judge Styles remarked, “UMB was tasked by Benton to help grow and establish his legacy as a world-renowned artist after his death. The evidence established UMB accomplished Benton’s wishes and desires,” affirming the bank's fulfillment of its obligations to the late artist and his legacy.
