Benjamin West: The Painter Who Escaped
"Although West remained a fixture of the British establishment, he made his studio home to an entire generation of American born artists seeking his instruction including Ralph Earl, Charles Willson Peale, Rembrandt Peale, John Trumball, Matthew Pratt, Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully and Washington Allston. Among his students were two artists who became more famous as inventors; Robert Fulton (steamboat and submarine) and Samuel Morse (telegraph)."
- Mark Ashton, Chester County: A Modern History
Background
Benjamin West was born in a house that is currently part of Swarthmore College. His father, John, became proprietor of the Square Tavern in Newtown Square where Benjamin spent his boyhood. The tavern was built in 1742 by Francis Elliot.
West began drawing at an early age, sketching his infant niece Sally while sleeping and drawing flowers and birds. His drawings caught the attention of nearby the Olkehocking Indians, who taught him how mix paint from local products. At age he met William Williams, who would become his lifelong mentor.
West Meets Affluent Figures
In 1756, West ventured to Lancaster, PA. where he met his first patron, Downingtown native William Henry. Henry encouraged West to paint the scene depicting the death of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. West's "Death of Socrates," is considered the first history painting produced in the colonies. This painting hung at Henry's home, catching the attention of Dr. William Smith, the provost of the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania), who was visiting.
At age 18, West became a protégé to Dr. Smith. Smith offered him connections to wealthy and prominent people, including English born painter John Wollaston.
West Travels to Europe
Dr. Smith and William Henry sent West to Rome to continue his art studies. When he arrived in Rome, he met prominent people like Cardinal Alessandro Albani, Sir Horace Mann, Pompeo Batoni, Anton Raphael Mengs, and Thomas Robinson. He next traveled to Florence where he studied the works of Italian painter and architect Raphael, who was famous for painting historical scenes.
West then received a letter from his father to travel to England to meet his half-brother Thomas. He then met Scottish physician Dr. William Patoun, who helped him travel to England where he would meet the best patron any painter could hope for: the King of Great Britain, George, III.
Settling in England
West's fiancée Elizabeth “Betsy” Shewell traveled to England from Pennsylvania, in the company of West's father John and her 29-year-old cousin Matthew Pratt. She married West on September 2, 1764. As his fame grew, so did West's social circle. One of the people who connected with West was Dr. Robert Hay Drummond, archbishop of York, a personal friend of King George, III. West had a successful meeting with the king at the Buckingham Palace, and presented "The Departure of Regulus" painting (1769) to the king. King George, III was so impressed with his work that he appointed West to be his historical painter.
With the help of fellow artists and his patron George III, West formed the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
One of West's most renowned paintings for King George was "The Death of General Wolfe." This 1770 work, depicting General James Wolfe’s death outside Quebec in 1759 is considered to have transformed history painting as it sought to depict precisely what happened rather than dramatize the event or portray the characters in some epic form (e.g., in togas).
Bibliography
"The Square Tavern." Newtown Square Historical Society. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://nshistory.org/sqtavern.
West, Doug. "Benjamin West: The American-British Artist of the Eighteenth Century." Owlcation. Last modified August 4, 2024. https://owlcation.com/humanities/Benjamin-West-The-American-British-Artist-of-the-Eighteenth-Century.