West was born the youngest of ten children in the family of John and Sara West, he an English Quaker who emigrated to America in 1714, and she the daughter of a companion of William Penn in his voyage to the New World. Benjamin himself never became a Quaker, but brought up his two sons in the Anglican Communion.
From his early youth West demonstrated both the interest and the skills of a budding artist, and he was encouraged in his pursuit by several persons impressed by his enthusiasm. At the age of fifteen he garnered his first commission as a portrait painter. Not long after this, he left his home in Springfield and moved to Philadelphia, where he attended the College of Philadelphia for a short time in 1756. West, however, was eager to study abroad, and by taking what commissions he could, including inn signs as well as portraits, he was able to sail for Italy from New York in 1760.
West was very well received in Italy, being perhaps the first American to study there, and accompanied by letters of introduction to high society, as well as his good looks and charm. He visited Florence, Rome, and the other centers of Italian art, studying the masters, especially Raphael and Titian, while his own work was being favorably judged, especially for its colors. In 1763, the artist sailed to England, planning on a brief stay which stretched into a lifetime stay of fifty-seven years.
West repeated his easy entry into the high circles of society in England, at a time when English painting, aside from portraiture, was held in low esteem. Thus, West's first products, historical scenes, created a sensation in their departure from the English school. In such a work as "Agrippina Landing at Brindisium With the Ashes of Germanicus," (1768) the linearity and the flatness reflect the influence of the classical bas-reliefs and antique vases that West had studied so assiduously in Italy.
Through the influence of Dr Robert Drummond, archbishop of York and West's strongest patron, the American was presented to George III, who was another admirer of West's work. In 1769, West produced "The Departure of Regulus from Rome," for his first royal commission, and in 1772 he was appointed historical painter to the king, a position which occupied most of his time and efforts, but compensated him with an annual salary of t 1,000. Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle were the main repositories for the works West produced during this period.
One important picture of this epoch that was a departure for the artist in style was the "Death of Wolfe," produced in 1771. In this work West eschewed the classical motifs in favor of a romantic realism, marked by its baroque lines and emotionalism. The characters are presented in contemporary military dress, rather than classical togas, and the emphasis is on curves and diagonals rather than flatness and linearity.
While holding the king's commission and presiding regularly over the Royal Academy, West enjoyed a security and prestige that he utilized in the patronage and tutelage of young artists, especially Americans. Though not a great master himself, he was well able to provide technical as well as personal assistance to beginners, who included; Copley, Charles Willson and Rembrandt Peale, Matthew Pratt, Thomas Sully, and Gilbert Stuart, among others.
West continued in the service of the king uninterruptedly for more than twenty years. Then, in 1801, he was notified that the work in the chapel at Windsor Castle was to cease. The artist began a series of religious painting for public sale, which included his most commercially successful work, "Christ Healing the Sick." In 1811 the t 1,000 allowance was discontinued, but the artist made no complaint. The break with the king and the death of his wife in 1814 marked the beginning of a general decline in the health of the artist. He died on March 11, 1820. His body lay in state at the Royal Academy and he was buried with great honors in St Paul's Cathedral. - NRHP, 25 September 1974
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The Death of General Wolfe |
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1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
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West was born the youngest of ten children in the family of John and Sara West, he an English Quaker who emigrated to America in 1714, and she the daughter of a companion of William Penn in his voyage to the New World. Benjamin himself never became a Quaker, but brought up his two sons in the Anglican Communion.
From his early youth West demonstrated both the interest and the skills of a budding artist, and he was encouraged in his pursuit by several persons impressed by his enthusiasm. At the age of fifteen he garnered his first commission as a portrait painter. Not long after this, he left his home in Springfield and moved to Philadelphia, where he attended the College of Philadelphia for a short time in 1756. West, however, was eager to study abroad, and by taking what commissions he could, including inn signs as well as portraits, he was able to sail for Italy from New York in 1760.
West was very well received in Italy, being perhaps the first American to study there, and accompanied by letters of introduction to high society, as well as his good looks and charm. He visited Florence, Rome, and the other centers of Italian art, studying the masters, especially Raphael and Titian, while his own work was being favorably judged, especially for its colors. In 1763, the artist sailed to England, planning on a brief stay which stretched into a lifetime stay of fifty-seven years.
West repeated his easy entry into the high circles of society in England, at a time when English painting, aside from portraiture, was held in low esteem. Thus, West's first products, historical scenes, created a sensation in their departure from the English school. In such a work as "Agrippina Landing at Brindisium With the Ashes of Germanicus," (1768) the linearity and the flatness reflect the influence of the classical bas-reliefs and antique vases that West had studied so assiduously in Italy.
Through the influence of Dr Robert Drummond, archbishop of York and West's strongest patron, the American was presented to George III, who was another admirer of West's work. In 1769, West produced "The Departure of Regulus from Rome," for his first royal commission, and in 1772 he was appointed historical painter to the king, a position which occupied most of his time and efforts, but compensated him with an annual salary of t 1,000. Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle were the main repositories for the works West produced during this period.
One important picture of this epoch that was a departure for the artist in style was the "Death of Wolfe," produced in 1771. In this work West eschewed the classical motifs in favor of a romantic realism, marked by its baroque lines and emotionalism. The characters are presented in contemporary military dress, rather than classical togas, and the emphasis is on curves and diagonals rather than flatness and linearity.
While holding the king's commission and presiding regularly over the Royal Academy, West enjoyed a security and prestige that he utilized in the patronage and tutelage of young artists, especially Americans. Though not a great master himself, he was well able to provide technical as well as personal assistance to beginners, who included; Copley, Charles Willson and Rembrandt Peale, Matthew Pratt, Thomas Sully, and Gilbert Stuart, among others.
West continued in the service of the king uninterruptedly for more than twenty years. Then, in 1801, he was notified that the work in the chapel at Windsor Castle was to cease. The artist began a series of religious painting for public sale, which included his most commercially successful work, "Christ Healing the Sick." In 1811 the t 1,000 allowance was discontinued, but the artist made no complaint. The break with the king and the death of his wife in 1814 marked the beginning of a general decline in the health of the artist. He died on March 11, 1820. His body lay in state at the Royal Academy and he was buried with great honors in St Paul's Cathedral. - NRHP, 25 September 1974