Benjamin West (Born in 1738) was born near Springfield in Pennsylvania. He was a painter of mythological, religious, and historical subjects who had an insightful influence on the development of historical painting in Britain. He became George III’s historical painter. He was alsothe founder of the Royal Academy. West showed a unique artistic talent as a young man and in 1756 he was sent to Philadelphia to study painting. At the age of 20 he was already a successful portraitist in New York City and in 1760, he sailed to Italy through the assistance of friends. The artist visited most of the most important cities of Italy and in 1763 he went to London, and set up as a painter of portraits. Since he was assured of financial support from the crown and because of his subsequent patronage by George III, he was absolved from having to continue painting portraits to earn a living.
He gained widespread popularity and soon became intimate with Sir Joshua Reynolds. Though loyal to America, he retained the king George III’s patronage and friendship until 1801. He visited Paris in 1802 and exhibited his final sketch for a piece titled “Death on the Pale Horse” which anticipated French Romantic painting’s developments. West never returned to the US, but through such pupils as John Singleton Copley, Charles Willson Peale, Gilbert Stuart, and Washington Allston, he exerted considerable influence on the development of art in the US during the first decades of the 19th century. His art is highly sought after to date.
