Benjamin West

1738–1820

Benjamin West, ‘Pylades and Orestes Brought as Victims before Iphigenia’ 1766
Pylades and Orestes Brought as Victims before Iphigenia 1766
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In Tate Britain

Walk Through British Art: 1760

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In Tate Britain

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Biography

Benjamin West (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was an Anglo-American history painter around and after the time of the American War of Independence and the Seven Years' War. He was the second president of the Royal Academy in London, serving from 1792 to 1805 and 1806 to 1820. He was offered a knighthood by the British Crown, but declined it, believing that he should instead be made a peer. He said that "Art is the representation of human beauty, ideally perfect in design, graceful and noble in attitude."

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Grand manner Neoclassicism

Artworks

Benjamin West, ‘Pylades and Orestes Brought as Victims before Iphigenia’ 1766

Benjamin West Pylades and Orestes Brought as Victims before Iphigenia

1766
N00126
Benjamin West, ‘Cleombrotus Ordered into Banishment by Leonidas II, King of Sparta’ 1768

Benjamin West Cleombrotus Ordered into Banishment by Leonidas II, King of Sparta

1768
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art N00121
Benjamin West, ‘The Golden Age’ 1776

Benjamin West The Golden Age

1776
T00945
Benjamin West, ‘Mrs Worrell as Hebe’ c.1775–8

Benjamin West Mrs Worrell as Hebe

c.1775–8
N00799
Benjamin West, ‘The Last Supper’ 1784

Benjamin West The Last Supper

1784
N00132
Benjamin West, ‘Lady Beauchamp-Proctor’ 1778

Benjamin West Lady Beauchamp-Proctor

1778
N05265
Benjamin West, ‘The Bard’ 1778

Benjamin West The Bard

1778
T01900
Benjamin West, ‘Sketch for ‘The Ascension’’ c.1782

Benjamin West Sketch for ‘The Ascension’

c.1782
N05621
See all 14

Artist as subject

Gilbert Stuart, ‘Benjamin West, P.R.A.’ ?exhibited 1781

Gilbert Stuart Benjamin West, P.R.A.

?exhibited 1781
N00229

Features

Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Colonel Acland and Lord Sydney: The Archers’ 1769
Art Term

Grand manner

Grand manner is an English term used widely from the eighteenth century to describe what was considered to be the ...

Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Three Ladies Adorning a Term of Hymen’ 1773
Art Term

History painting

The term history painting was introduced in the seventeenth century to describe paintings with subject matter drawn from classical history ...

Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Three Ladies Adorning a Term of Hymen’ 1773
Art Term

Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism was a particularly pure form of classicism that emerged from about 1750

Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘A Child’s Portrait in Different Views: ‘Angel’s Heads’’ 1786–7
Art Term

Classicism

The term classicism is used to describe art that makes reference to ancient Greek or Roman style
Read

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