Benjamin West was born in Springfield, Pennsylvania. He is one of the first internationally renowned American artists. In his American homeland he initially painted mainly portraits. When his patron William Allen financed a trip to Italy for him, he was able to visit Rome in 1760 and copied paintings of Tizian and Raffael. In 1763 he settled in London, where he became a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts. After the death of the first president, he presided over the Academy until the end of his life.
West is one of the earliest painters of classicist history paintings. When his painting "The Death of General James Wolfe in Quebec" was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1771, it caused a sensation and an unprecedented influx of visitors. Soon copies of the painting were sold in large numbers in the form of engravings. Instead of antiquating the 1759 scene depicted by means of vestments and poses, as contemporaries advised him, West transposed the historical circumstances into his painting in an accurately documented manner. He called this technique, which he also continued in "Death of Nelson" and "William Penn's Treaty with the Indians in November 1683", an "epic representation".
West was commissioned with portraits of the British royal family, received an annual salary of £1000 as the official history painter of the royal house and managed the royal collection of paintings until his death in 1820.
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.jpg "The Apotheosis of Nelson, 1807 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Destruction of the Beast and the False Prophet, 1804 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The Death of Nelson, 1806 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Cupid and Psyche by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Edward III Crossing The Somme by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Lot Fleeing from Sodom by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The Battle of the Boyne, pub. 1865 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Omnia Vincit Amor, or The Power of Love in the Three Elements by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Sketch for \"Penn")
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.jpg "Sir Joseph Banks, 1773, Botanist by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The Women at the Sepulchre - The Angel at the Tomb of Christ by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Hector Taking Leave of Andromache: The Fright of Astyanax, 1766 by Benjamin West")
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_The_Honourable_Robert_Monckton_(1726-17_-_(MeisterDrucke-391515).jpg "Major-General (later Lieutenant-General) The Honourable Robert Monckton (1726-1782), at the Taking of Martinique, 1762, c.1763-64 by Benjamin West")
_The_Honourable_Robert_Monckton_(1726-17_-_(MeisterDrucke-391515).jpg)
 published 1817 (hand-coloured engraving) - (MeisterDrucke-73743).jpg "The Battle of New Orleans and the Death of Major General Packenham, 8th January 1815, engraved by Joseph Yeager, published 1817 by Benjamin West")
 published 1817 (hand-coloured engraving) - (MeisterDrucke-73743).jpg)
_-_(MeisterDrucke-1632058).jpg "Maria Hamilton Beckford (Mrs. William Beckford) by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Study for \"Jephthah")
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.jpg "The Death of Chatham by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyontye Captain David Hill by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Thetis Bringing the Armor to Achilles by Benjamin West")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-878214).jpg "Hamlet - Act IV, Scene V (Ophelia Before the King and Queen) by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "St. Paul Shaking off the Viper by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "P. John")
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.jpg "Portrait of Six Children of George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Their Royal Highnesses) by Valentine Green")
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.jpg "Cleombrotus Ordered into Banishment by Leonidas II, King of Sparta by Benjamin West")
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_de_Mecklembourg_Strelitz_-_(MeisterDrucke-961986).jpg "Queen Charlotte (Sophia-Charlotte, Sophia Charlotte) of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818), wife of George III of England - painting by Benjamin West, Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom (1744-1818) by Benjamin West")
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 and George William Drummond 1776 - (MeisterDrucke-68477).jpg "Portrait Group of the Drummond Family, Peter Auriol Drummond, Mary Bridget Milnes Drummond, and George William Drummond by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Mr. Robert Grafton and Mrs. Mary Partridge Wells Grafton, 1773 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Venus Relating to Adonis the Story of Hippomenes and Atalanta by John Hall")
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.jpg "Project for a Monument,")
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.jpg "Cupid, Stung by a Bee, Is Cherished by His Mother by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Peter Beckford by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Portrait of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Her Daughter Charlotte by Valentine Green")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1361922).jpg "Portrait of a Woman by Francesco Bartolozzi")
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.jpg "Rebecca Receiving the Bracelet at the Well by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The Angel of the Resurrection, from")
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.jpg "The Bard by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The Artist and His Family by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The Apotheosis of Nelson by Benjamin West")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1218435).jpg "Maria Hamilton Beckford (Mrs. William Beckford) by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Saul Before Samuel and the Prophets, 1812 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Jacob Blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, 1766-68 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Moses Shown the Promised Land by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "King William III During the Battle of the Boyne, 1690 by John Hall")
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.jpg "Battle of New Orleans and Death of Major General Packenham on the 8th of January, 1815, engraved by J. Yeager, published by McCarly and Davis by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Mrs. West and Child by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Elizabeth, Countess of Effingham by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The Indians Delivering Up the English Captives to Colonel Bouquet Near His Camp at the Forks of Muskingum in North America in November 1764 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "General Thaddeus Kosciusko, 1797 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The battle of La Hogue by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The Battle of La Hogue, c1781 by Benjamin West")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1520200).jpg "Salome with the Head of St. John the Baptist, c.1761 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Portrait of William Wellesley-Pole, 1st Baron Maryborough by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Philip of Acarnania Reading a Letter to Alexander the Great by Valentine Green")
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.jpg "Specimens of Polyautography: The Angel at the Tomb of Christ by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "William Penn, English Quaker Colonist, Treating with Native North Americans, 1682 by Benjamin West")
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 concerning a future state frontispiece to The History Civil and Commercial of the British Colonies in the West Indies by Bry - (MeisterDrucke-141898).jpg "An Indian Cacique of the Island of Cuba Addressing Columbus Concerning a Future State, Frontispiece to The History, Civil and Commercial of the British Colonies in the West Indies by Benjamin West")
 concerning a future state frontispiece to The History Civil and Commercial of the British Colonies in the West Indies by Bry - (MeisterDrucke-141898).jpg)
.jpg "The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Cupid, Stung by a Bee, is Cherished by His Mother, 1774 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Portrait of a Man Standing in Front of Window by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The Resurrection by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Alexander")
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.jpg "Sketchbook of Figure and Composition Studies by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Portrait of Artist Benjamin West with His Son Raphael by Valentine Green")
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.jpg "Artist")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-896546).jpg "The Bathing Place at Ramsgate by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Charles II of England Arrives on the Beach at Dover, May 25, 1660 by William Woollett")
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.jpg "The Battle of La Hogue, c.1778 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Queen Philippa Interceding for the Lives of the Burghers of Calais by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Portrait of a Lady by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Costume Study for the Portrait of a Lady by Benjamin West")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1356659).jpg "The Battle at La Hogue, 1692 by William Woollett")
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.jpg "John Eardley Wilmot by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "King Lear by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Portrait of Prince William Henry Aboard a British Royal Navy Warship by Francesco Bartolozzi")
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_c17_-_(MeisterDrucke-667111).jpg "Design for the ceiling decoration of the Royal Chapel, Windsor Castle by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Portrait of George IV and Frederick of York as Children by Valentine Green")
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.jpg "The Battle of La Hogue by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "British Manufactory, A Sketch by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "West Family in the Studio Garden, 1808-1809 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Banishment of Cleombrotus by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The Artist and His Son Raphael by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Harvesting at Windsor by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Agrippina the Elder Mourning with the Ashes of Germanicus by Valentine Green")
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.jpg "Cicero Discovering the Tomb of Archimedes by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "St. Paul Saved From a Shipwreck off Malta, altarpiece of the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul in the Queen Mary Block by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Cymon and Iphigenia by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The Death of General Wolfe, September 13th, 1759, illustration from")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-899857).jpg "Elizabeth Shewell West and Her Son, Raphael by Benjamin West")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1221616).jpg "Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyontye (Captain David Hill) by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Paetus and Arria by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Noah Sacrificing by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "William Penn")
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.jpg "Classical Scene by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "George III by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Jephthah")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-99573).jpg "Mr Stewart painting Mr West")
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.jpg "Windsor Great Park from the Castle Terrace by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "The Three Sisters by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "Study for a Painting of The Angels Appearing to the Shepherds, 1774 by Benjamin West")
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.jpg "An Alpine Landscape with a Couple Seated by Trees Overlooking a Valley by Benjamin West")
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