Benjamin West

Benjamin West was born in Springfield, PA, October 10, 1738 and died in London, March 11, 1820.

American painter West exerted an important influence on the development of British history painting. Born to a Quaker family in Pennsylvania, he pursued portraiture and history painting in Philadelphia and New York until 1760, when he left America to study in Rome. The positive reception of two neo-classical history paintings at the Society of Artists exhibition in 1766 persuaded him to settle in England, where his scenes of ancient Roman history and myth enjoyed unusual success. He created a sensation in 1771 with The Death of General Wolfe, which depicts a contemporary historical event with figures clothed in contemporary dress, rather than classical drapery. West's successes gained him the patronage of George III and an annual stipend of £1,000. A founding member of the Royal Academy, he became its second president on the death of Joshua Reynolds. As a teacher, West had a significant impact on the course of American painting; his pupils included Gilbert Stuart, Washington Allston, and Thomas Sully.