Benjamin West
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 Death of General Wolfe | Tod des General Wolfe in der Schacht von Quebec | Death on the Pale Horse | The Death of Epaminondas (mk25) | Self-portrait | Related Artists: Karel Slabbaertpainted A toebackje still lifein 1641 Peter Purves SmithPeter Purves Smith (26 March 1912 - 23 July 1949), born Charles Roderick Purves Smith, was an Australian painter. Born in Melbourne, Purves Smith studied at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art in London and under progressive art teacher George Bell in Melbourne. Wladyslaw Czachorski (1850-1911) was a Polish artist.
In 1866 Czachorski went to the Warsaw Drawing School and had Rafał Hadziewicz as a peer. Then he spent one year at the Dresden Academy and from there went to Munich Academy (1869-1873) some of his classmates were: Hermann Anschetz, Karl von Piloty, and Alexander Wagner. He received Magna Cum Laude (the Grand Silver Medal) from Munich, and proceeded to travel to France, Italy and Poland after his graduation. He held membership to Berlin academy and has also organizer and jurist of international exhibitions even though he had his home in Munich. He was awarded the Bavarian Order of Saint Michael in 1893. He had many art exhibitions in Poland. Some took place in Krakew, Warsaw, Łedź, and Lwew. After his death in 1911, a posthumous showing was held at the Warsaw "Zachęta" Society of Fine Arts.
Some of Czachorski's noted works were: still lifes, painted portraits, and Shakespearean scenes. Some of these that he painted were: Julliette's Funeral (1873), Hamlet (1873), and, most notably, Hamlet Receiving the Players (1875); widely recognized as his greatest works.
His paintings can be found in all the more famous and sizable museums of Poland. His works also make appearances in private collections in many countries including: Germany, Poland, England and the United States. They can also be found in foreign museums such as Lwew, Bremen and the Academia de San Carlos in Mexico City.
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