1738-1820 Benjamin West Locations Benjamin West RA (October 10, 1738 ?C March 11, 1820) was an Anglo-American painter of historical scenes around and after the time of the American War of Independence. He was the second president of the Royal Academy serving from 1792 to 1805 and 1806 to 1820. In 1760, sponsored by Smith and William Allen, reputed to be the wealthiest man in Philadelphia, West traveled to Italy where he expanded his repertoire by copying the works of Italian painters such as Titian and Raphael. As painted by Gilbert Stuart, 1783-84West was a close friend of Benjamin Franklin, whose portrait he painted. Franklin was also the godfather of West's second son, Benjamin. In 1763, West moved to England, where he was commissioned by King George III to create portraits of members of the royal family. The king himself was twice painted by him. He painted his most famous, and possibly most influential painting, The Death of General Wolfe, in 1770, exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1771. Although originally snubbed by Sir Joshua Reynolds, the famous portrait painter and President of the Royal Academy, and others as over ambitious, the painting became one of the most frequently reproduced images of the period. In 1772, King George appointed him historical painter to the court at an annual fee of £1,000. With Reynolds, West founded the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768. He was the second president of the Royal Academy from 1792 to 1805. He was re-elected in 1806 and was president until his death in 1820. He was Surveyor of the King's Pictures from 1791 until his death. Many American artists studied under him in London, including Charles Willson Peale, Rembrandt Peale, Gilbert Stuart, John Trumbull, and Thomas Sully. [3] West is known for his large scale history paintings, which use expressive figures, colours and compositional schemes to help the spectator to identify with the scene represented. West called this "epic representation". He died in London.  Related Paintings of Benjamin West :. | The Departure of Regulus (mk25) | Death on the Pale Horse | Death on a Pale Horse | Isaac's servant trying the bracelet on Rebecca's arm | The Death of General Wolfe |
Related Artists:
Austrian School
painted Future Emperor Charles VI in before 1711
Jean Raoux
French Painter, 1677-1734, French painter. He trained first in Montpellier with Antoine Ranc (1634-1716), in whose studio he completed his early painting Ariadne on Naxos (1701; Montpellier, Mus. Fabre). He subsequently moved to the Paris studio of Bon Boullogne and in 1704 won the Prix de Rome with David Slaying Goliath (untraced). He completed his education at the Acad?mie de France in Rome and also spent time in Florence and Padua. For the Cathedral at Padua he executed an Annunciation and a Visitation (both in situ). In 1707-9 Raoux was in Venice, where he made contact with his future patron Philippe de Vendeme (1665-1727), Grand Prior of the Order of the Knights of Malta. From 1714 he lodged in the Grand Prior's Paris residence, the Temple, a privilege that was renewed in 1719 by Vendeme's successor Jean-Philippe,
Barry, James
Dutch Baroque Era Painter, 1627-ca.1683 Studied under Otto Marseus van Schrieck. Students included Rachel Ruysch.