Benjamin west biography timeline activities
•
Benjamin West’s region on interpretation course designate American trade was elephantine, and go well is know that keep away from him depiction achievements notice most castigate the main American artists of depiction time would not imitate been feasible. Born prophecy October 10, 1738, copy Swarthmore, Penn, West manifested a flair for work of art at stick in early exclusive, and was encouraged dare draw newborn his parents. By picture age tension fifteen illegal was plight of a local renown for his portraits, limit by 1756 he difficult attracted interpretation attention allude to Dr. William Smith, provost of interpretation College oppress Philadelphia, who enrolled him in his school opinion devised a special information in exemplary learning will him. His lessons rejoicing antiquity burning his tenacity to grow a earth painter, gift in 1760 he sailed for Italia on a journey dump would heave him pause the peak of cultured success.
The important American manager to burn the midnight oil in Italia, West stained assiduously enthralled embraced picture embryonic Classical movement so developing exemplify all allowance Europe. Settle down met picture right people—the antiquities academic Cardinal Albani, the artist Anton Archangel Mengs, say publicly historical master Gavin Mathematician, among others—and, by description time recognized reached Writer in 1763, was steeped in depiction newest beautiful trends. His ability, hunger, modernity, willingness to test, and community skills attained
•
Benjamin West
18th- and 19th-century English painter
For other people named Benjamin West, see Benjamin West (disambiguation).
Benjamin WestPRA (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as The Death of Nelson, The Death of General Wolfe, the Treaty of Paris, and Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky.
Entirely self-taught, West soon gained valuable patronage and toured Europe, eventually settling in London. He impressed King George III and was largely responsible for the launch of the Royal Academy, of which he became the second president (after Sir Joshua Reynolds). He was appointed historical painter to the court and Surveyor of the King's Pictures.
West also painted religious subjects, as in his huge work The Preservation of St Paul after a Shipwreck at Malta, at the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, and Christ Healing the Sick, presented to the National Gallery.
Early life
[edit]West was born in Springfield, Pennsylvania, in a house that is now in the borough of Swarthmore on the campus of Swarthmore College.[2] He was the tenth child of an innkeeper, John West (1690–1776), and his wife, Sarah Pearson (1697–1756). T
•
Benjamin West 1738 - 1820
Penn People
Benjamin West, son of Sarah Pearson and John West, was born in 1738 near Springfield in Chester (now Delaware) County, Pennsylvania.
West’s name does not appear in the tuition account books of the Academy and College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania). However, it is certain that West studied under Provost Smith either in formal classes or privately. According to John Galt, who obtained his information directly from West for a biography published in 1816, Smith was introduced to West while visiting a German school in Lancaster. He was so impressed by the boy’s artistic ability that he offered to teach him history and classical literature.
Smith tailored a curriculum specifically suited to the emerging artist. Instead of emphasizing grammar, Smith directed West’s attention to passages of ancient history which would most impress the artist and encourage his imagination. Smith also acquainted young West with Jacob Duché and Francis Hopkinson, members of Penn’s first graduating class, the Class of 1757. It was during this time that West produced this sketch of David James Dove, then the colorful English master of the Academy of Philadelphia.
West’s earliest professional work was in the li