Benjamin West

American, 1738–1820

BiographyBenjamin West was the tenth child of a Pennsylvania housekeeper. Though he had no formal education, legend has it that he received lessons from a local Native American tribe on how to grind red and yellow pigments from elements in nature to use as paint. At the age of 18, West went to the College of Philadelphia to study art. There, he met John Wollaston, a painter who would influence West's technique for some years thereafter.

When in his twenties, feeling that he had no future in America and that his current path was leading him nowhere, he earned enough money to charter a place on a boat headed to Rome. From there, West moved to England, where he was taken in by Joshua Reynolds, the first president of the Royal Academy. It was at this point that he met and began to paint for King George III. In 1768, he became a founding member of the Royal Academy and soon became England's Chief History Painter, using both his Quaker upbringing and his exposure to classic European works for inspiration of content and style.

Because of his ornate style, West was sometimes referred to as the “English Raphael.” Despite his friendship with King George III, West painted many portraits of Americans after independence was won, in addition to his regular European clientele. He continued to work in England until his death in 1820.