seat on Hohenstaufengasse, Vienna His father, János Benk (1814–1895), was a decorative sculptor and
stonemason from
Osijek. After completing his primary education, he studied with the sculptor,
Franz Bauer, then went to Dresden, where he studied at the
Academy of Fine Arts with
Ernst Julius Hähnel. He participated in several competitions for monumental sculpture, gaining notice with his designs for statues of
Wilhelm von Tegetthoff,
Beethoven and the Empress
Maria Theresa, although none of those designs were realized. In 1862, the Academy awarded him its
Gundel-Prize for excellence. A scholarship enabled him to study in Rome and Florence from 1870 to 1871. Upon returning, he opened a studio in his father's home. He soon became popular and attracted a notable patron;
Baron Karl von Hasenauer. His major works include a group of
allegorical statues, representing Austria, for the staircase at the Hofwaffenmuseums (Court Weapons Museum, now the
Museum of Military History) and the , honoring an army regiment, on the
Ringstraße. From 1872, he was a member of the
Vienna Künstlerhaus and, from 1887, a member of "Pensionsgesellschaft bildender Künstler", a charity for needy sculptors. In 1887, he was named a Knight in the
Order of Franz Joseph and, the following year, was awarded the
Order of the Iron Crown, third class. After he died, his studio passed to his son. As part of a project to extend the Apollogasse, his son accepted a payment of 100,000
Krone, and the building was demolished. In 1924, a street in Vienna's
Hietzing district was named after him. ==References==