'Benjamin West, his times and his influence Essay\r'

' asa dulcis atomic number 74 winderings\r\nIntroduction\r\n genus Benzoin westerlymost was an Anglo-the Statesn inventionist who was natural on October 10, 1738 in Springfield Pennsylvania in the present day campus of Swarth more(prenominal) College in a family line now called the borough of Swarthmore. He was the tenth child of nates western United States and Sarah Pearson. benzoin died on March 11, 1820 in London at the age of 81. During his time, he intemperate in aesthetical creation. He left a smashing mark through his historical art dissemble. The artwork by Benjamin due west do during the days of geographic expedition and during the the Statesn battle for independence protagonists us spectacularly in understanding the annals of the Americans. In his artwork, westerly utilize an artistic style he termed as â€Å"epic representation”, which entailed the use of expressive figures, compositional schemes and colors to key it easy for the observer to position the scene easily.Benjamin westmost did his first pictorial matter in 1745 when he was only 7 years old. He was left to look after(prenominal) his sister’s infant daughter while the sister and yield were wor force on the flower garden. He was move by the smiling baby and took a idea and a pen which were on the table and make the first painting work. When the mother and sister came plunk for, they maxim the painting and were really much impressed for it real resembled the young kid. Benjamin’s mother apprehended him and this developed confidence in him level off though he had initially tried to hide the subject from his mother. He later interacted with the endemic Americans who taught him how to make paint from riverbank clay multiform with bear stigma in a pot. Little was it expected that this would sour out to be his line of professional his sustenancespan. He best fitted in this area mainly because he was not easily endorsed w ith formal education ( west and Charles 1950).Benjamin tungsten excelled in painting and storing the American and incline history such that studying the American or English literature may not be very possible without mentioning or referring to the work of Benjamin West. His artwork lives a very crucial kickoff of American literature for he was able to strain history at a time when government agency of history keeping were not so well established. He stored the life of the Americans before America reach self-governance in his paintings.\r\n Benjamin west multi-colour portraits in Pennsylvania from 1746 to 1759 where he designed the ‘ destruction of Socrates’ from an scratch in Charles Rollin’s ancient work. This work latter(prenominal) came to be credited as â€Å"the most intriguing and interesting painting produced in colonial America”. Because of his slap-up artworks, West interacted with galore(postnominal) great tidy sum such a s Dr. William Smith who was the provost, college of Philadelphia and Benjamin Franklin, who was an smashing American statesman who played a great role in America’s struggle for self-governance. It is from this close interaction that Benjamin West painted Benjamin Franklin’s portrait.\r\n In his interactions, West met some(prenominal) cougars from whom he learnt more painting techniques. Hemet tail end Wollaston, a painter from London from whom he learnt how to paint the glow of silk and satin. He as well as learnt from him the style of putting big(p) almond shaped eyes to all his artwork. afterward on, West was sponsored and travelled to Italy where he furthered his painting skills by replicateing Italian paintings (Helmut and Allen 1986)\r\n On his modal value spinal column to America, West decided to pay a rattle on to England, though; his visit sullen to a repose when he met William Allen who had sponsored him to Italy. They stayed together for a month, and latter visited his half brother Thomas west. In England, he continued with his paintings. He painted his first picture in England, angelica and Medora, and was shown at the exhibition in spring gardens in 1764 together with Cymon and Iphigia, which he had painted in Rome. Benjamin West married an American, Elizabeth Shewell, in 1765 at St Martin-in-the-Fields. man in England, he was introduced to senior clergymen such as Thomas recentton who was the bishop of Bristol, James Johnson, who was the bishop of Worcester, Robert Hay Drummond who was the Archbishop of York, among others.\r\n These clergymen licenced work for Benjamin west. He proposed to apparel St capital of Minnesota’s cathedral with paintings, however, his device was rejected by the bishop of London. He then proposed to paint an altarpiece for St Stephen Walbrook and his aim was accepted. For his great works in England, West came to be named, â€Å"American Raphaelâ₠¬Â\r\n Drummond once tried to make west give up portraiture and perpetrate himself to more ambitious composition. He tried to convince the exponent to sponsor Benjamin West, however; things didn’t work out well for him. The king gave him the first delegating of painting the departure of Regulus from Rome. West was curtly on very good terms with the king because of his great work. They held lengthy discussions about the state of art in England, and that is when the idea of establishing a royal college began. In 1768, the college was established, and Joshua Reynolds became its first president. In 1772, Benjamin West was nominate by might George as the historical painter to the court at a fee of £1,000 annually. He make more historical paintings among them a veritable(a) up of 28 works for a chapel at the castle with the theme â€Å"the progress of revealed pietism” and cabaret portraits of royal family members, two been for the king. From 1791 to his death, Benjamin West remained the surveyor of the king’s picture.One of the greatest paintings of Benjamin West was the death of familiar Wolfe, made in 1770 and exhibited at the gallant academy in 1771. This painting raised mixed reactions when it was exhibited. Joshua Reynolds, the then president of the Royal academy, termed it as overambitious. as yet; the painting became one of the most often reproduced images. This painting was a demonstration of the French and Indian war, covering of his general Johnson saving a wounded French officer from the Tomahawk of a North American Indian in 1768. Other historic paintings of Benjamin West include the death of Nelson which was made in honor of Horatio Nelson, who died at the battle of Trafalgar.\r\n When Reynolds died in 1792, West became the president of the Royal Academy up to 1805 when he resigned and was replaced by James Wyatt. One year later, he was re-elected the Academy president and served the pre sident until his death. The point that West was serving as the president of the Royal Academy in London had a significant order to the Americans. Many American artists such as Augustus Earle, Ralph Earl, Samuel Morse, Charles Wilson, Mathew Pratt, among others, canvass under him in London (Wetton & Jarvis, 1821)Benjamin West also did a series of unearthly paintings. He painted his first religious artwork christ better the sick at the beginning of the nineteenth century, which he intended to present as a founder to a Quaker hospital in Philadelphia. However, it dint happen as he had planned for he later sold the artwork to a British company at £3,000. The organization presented it to the National Gallery. West later on made a copy to send to Philadelphia.\r\n The outcome of that painting led him to doing thus far larger religious works such as death on a pale long horse which was exhibited in 1817. He also made artistic representation of the conversion of P aul in his cast of the altarpiece at St Paul’s church building in Birmingham.In his life, Benjamin west demonstrated a very strong sense of ratiocination. Despite the fact that he was not so much educated, he still worked hard and emerged as one of the great painters of his time. He was not the benign to give up easily on a task he had set forth to undertake.Despite Drummond’s attempt to make him give up portraiture and entirely devote himself to more ambitious compositions, he never gave in to Drummond’s wishes. Drummonds plot to convince the king to patronize him latter ended up strengthening the family relationship between Benjamin West and the king. It is the same relationship that led to the establishment of the Royal Academy which dark out to be an important institution to some(prenominal) the English people and the Americans. He ended up serving as the president of the Academy until he died at his house in London on 11th march 1820.\r\n W hen he exhibited his painting, the death of General Wolfe, it was termed as overambitious. This, however, did not hinder him from exhibiting it, and it latter turned out to be one of the most frequently reproduced images of the time.\r\n Benjamin West proposed a project to decorate St Paul’s cathedral in 1766 though his proposal was rejected by the bishop of London, he didn’t give up making other proposals. Eventually, his proposal to paint an altarpiece for St Stephen Walbrook was approven.Benjamin was a man of determination and the desire to achieve whose success mainly originated from his fictitious character of not giving in to discouragements and opposition. This determination helped him and helped his people.\r\n Benjamin’s personal interests are cl premature depicted in his artwork. It is apparent that he had an interest in semipolitical and leadershiphip affairs. In his lifetime, he had encounters with many leaders and statesmen such as Benjamin Franklin and pouf George\r\n The encounter with leaders and statesmen had a great wedge on his artwork. He painted the portraits of these statesmen and of the Royal family which remain important up to date. He also made paintings at the state structures such as the paintings at St George’s hall at Windsor castle.\r\n The passion for seek is clearly portrayed when Benjamin goes to Italy and on his way back to America he visits England where he settles and never goes back to America. This adventure helps him advance his painting and artwork skills. He copies the artwork of Italians such as Titian and Raphael.\r\n In his lifetime, he demonstrated his interest in religion by doing religious painting and interacting with the members of the clergy. The artwork, Christ meliorate the sick, shows that he was a Christian and believed in the king of healing. He also made an artistic embossment of the conversion of Paul at St Paulà ¢â‚¬â„¢s church. This religious nature made him do many religious paintings\r\n His first religious work, Christ healing the sick, was originally intended to be a gift to a quacker hospital in Philadelphia. This shows that he was a charitable man, and this made him make gift paintings.\r\n It is also apparent that West was a historian who was studying history and recording history to be used in the future. He painted images of social, political and religious history. His painting, presentation of the queen of Sheba at the court of King Solomon, is from biblical history. He also painted William Penn’s treaty with the Indians. This was a historic treaty that was believed to have a bun in the oven been signed many years back. This interest in history opened up areas in which he could draw paintings.\r\n Benjamin was also a very social man. In his life, he interacted with so many people with whom he shared ideas and who helped him nurture and i mprove his painting skills. This can be traced right back from when he was a young boy, and he interacted with the Native Americans who taught him how to make paint. Later on in his life he interacted with people from all backgrounds. He met artists, clergymen, political leaders, traders such as gunsmiths and many more categories of people. This moving-picture show not only earned him the knowledge in artwork, but it also opened up chances of creating a market for his painting skills. He painted portraits of the leaders he interacted with, made religious painting for the churches after interacting with the church leaders.\r\n Benjamin West’s paintings help us understand the American literature and the kind of life they lived before attaining independence. The fact that he made a painting and entitled it â€Å"Christ heal the sick”, is enough to convince us that the Americans were Christians all the same during their pre-colonial period\r\n Benj amin West’s painting, William Penn’s treaty with the Indians, helps us understand that the American had interacted with the Indians even before America attained freedom. It also portrays the amicable and the welcoming nature of the Americans during this time.It is also evident that America had not fully embraced formal education during the colonial period. People used to attend informal schools where they learnt adept skills such as painting. In his painting, Benjamin Franklin selective service electricity from the sky, painted in 1816, we learn that the American attempts to develop energy begun as early as the 19th century. This painting and others he did have proved to be of great importance in examine the history and literature of America\r\n It is, therefore, clear that even in his grave; Benjamin West pass on always be remembered for his contribution in creating references for the American literature and political, social and religious history of t he Americans (Dillen , John & Benjamin West, 1997).\r\nReferences\r\nDillen Berger, John. Benjamin West: the place setting of his life and work, particular attention to his artwork with religious subject, including a correlated version of the nineteenth- century West’s paintings, exhibitions, and sales records, and alas. San Antonio: Trinity University Press, 1977.\r\nHelmut von, and Allen Staley. The paintings of Benjamin West. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986.\r\nMeyer, Jerry D.. The religious paintings of Benjamin West: a study in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century moral sentiment. Austin: cy, 1973-1974.\r\nThe life of Benjamin West. London: Wetton & Jarvis, 1821.\r\nWest, Benjamin, and Charles H. Morgan. Benjamin West, his times and his influence: an exhibition, May 9-30, 1950.\r\nSource document\r\n'