Reporter Emily Maneval (RE) Benjamin West (BW)
RE: Hello good sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr West.
BW: Oh my dear, the pleasure is all mine.
RE: I do have to say it’s a great honor to meet such a talent. Your paintings are extraordinary and I am very excited to share with everyone your enduring career as an visual artist.
BW: No no, I am honored just to be asked to share my life story. The arts are so important. Being able to share the steps I took and to inspire young passionate artists of this time would mean everything to me.
RE: Well then, let’s get straight to the inspiring! ;P
RE: Question one. 1. When were you born? Can you tell me about the area or areas you lived?
BW:
I was born on October 10, 1738, near Springfield, Pennsylvania. I was the tenth child of my family. My father was an innkeeper and my mother was of course, the one who took care of everyone. We did not stay in Springfield for long though, we soon moved to Newtown Square. My family didn’t move far for we still lived in Pennsylvania. My father became the proprietor of the Square Tavern that is still standing in that very town. We lived in the early Americas instead of Europe. I was lucky to have grown up in a good home and stable family.(Barratt 2004) I studied the arts in Pennsylvania for a long time but it never meant my life was uneventful. (considering the fact that I was even friends with local indians who taught me how to mix paints (Jackson 1900) Actually I can’t really recall a period of my life that was ever uneventful. (Jackson 1900)
Although I had grown up in Pennsylvania, with my talent I didn’t stay there for long. I moved to Europe so I could continue my studies in the arts and improve my skills. In 1760 I sailed for Italy. Its interesting that I was actually the first American artist to study there. I embraced the embryonic Neoclassical movement in Italy, that at the time was developing all over Europe. (Barratt 2004) I was able to conduct a Grand Tour in Italy and met many international neo-classical artists. (Raymond 1989) It was a wonderful experience. I finally moved on into England in 1763. At the time I actually thought I was going to be heading back to America.(Galt, volume 2 p.1) England was only supposed to be a stop on the way there but I never returned to America.(Galt, volume 2, p.2) England is where I stayed and my life continued on solely there. I still traveled but my home was in England.
RE: Wow that’s so incredible! Its truly amazing how many places you have traveled in your lifetime. I’m sure that it was not an easy thing to do.
BW: You are absolutely correct on that part. Sailing on the sea was anything but delightful. The world did make some amazing advances in my time but transportation was nothing compared to what it is today. You are extremely lucky Miss Maneval.
RE: Onto the next question!
RE: Question 2. Mr. West, what events when in your early life got you interested in the arts?
BW:
Oh there were many things that got me interested but I think my interest really sparked because of my natural talent. I was able to draw well at an early age and I was encouraged by my parents to do so throughout my childhood.(Barratt 2004) As I mentioned before I also was even taught how to use and mix different paints by local Indians.They were often very friendly and taught me by showing how to mix some clay from river banks with bear grease in pots. (The Life and Studies of Benjamin West 1816, 1820) I even can remember meeting a fellow artist when I was young. "Most undoubtedly had not [he] been settled in Philadelphia I should not have embraced painting as a profession.” He was a British portraitist that I met when I was nine years old. (J. Paul Getty Trust)
With all the attention I seemed to get it’s not a huge surprise that my popularity also helped my interest grow. When I turned fifteen I became a local celebrity for my portraits.(Barratt 2004) It gave me recognition for my work which was something incredible for a kid my age to have.
By 1756 when I was eighteen I caught the attention of a man named Dr. William Smith. He was a provost of the College of Philadelphia. He enrolled me into his school and made a special program just for me in classical learning.(Barratt 2004) That moment finally made my interest in art final. I was able to gain a amazing education for something that I already had a good interest in. I wasn’t from a extremely rich family so the chances of a guy like me getting into a college was rare. The lessons I received really improved my techniques and fueled my determination to become a professional painter.(Barratt 2004)
RE: Question 3. Who were the mentors that helped you develop your interests and talent? What kind of role did they play?
BW:
My parents, Dr. William Smith, John Wollaston, and William Allen were big mentors in my life. My mother and father in their own ways encouraged me to work with my art and to practice when they saw I had a talent. They were the ones who got me drawing and painting at a very young age and they never stopped. When my mother saw me draw a portrait of my little sister Sallie she started to give me kisses. “It was this kiss from my mother, that made me a painter”(Jackson 1900)
Dr. William Smith gave me an education to his own college when I was a young adult searching to continue my studies.(Hughes 1997) My lessons in antiquity sparked my interest in Historical Paintings.(Barratt 2004) When I was there I was also heavily influenced by John Wollaston’s artwork. I was able to meet Wollaston. He was a famous painter that had immigrated from London. I learned from his techniques and adopted parts of his style. For example, the look of the big almond-shaped eyes and the way he painted the shimmer of silk and satin. (Hughes 1997) Finally with the help of Smith and William Allen I was able to travel to Italy. Their sponsorship allowed me to become a very wealthy man in Philadelphia.(Raymond 1989)
RE: That’s very interesting. You seemed to have lots of mentors who helped you in tremendous ways.
BW: Yes and I don’t think I could have ever accomplished what I have done without them.
RE: Question 4. What was the world of visual art like around you while practicing your skills and even producing your own work?
BW:
When I was young I didn’t get to grow up in a place that was abundant in the arts. I lived in a small town that had not much to offer. My mother and father really had no experience for the arts. I had to learn on my own for a while. I was a portrait artist so I was fortunate enough to be able to practice on my own by painting and drawing others. I made my own paint brushes and was given different colors of paints from others. My early life seemed to have many remarkable and amazing circumstances.(Monkhouse 1885-1900) Although I knew very well the popularity and talent that was required for the arts, I didn’t realize how the society was like with the arts until I was able to go to the college in Philadelphia. It was there where I started to learn more about different kinds of styles that were being produced from all kinds of different artists. When I moved on into Italy I was finally and truly faced with how the world treated art. I was able to finally become surrounded by artists and works of many different kinds.
I discovered a rise in a style of art that reflected forms of classical art from ancient Greece and Rome. In Europe it seemed that many paintings characteristics captured more serious and heroic sides.(Encyclopedia of Art History) The popularity of this style, this era of art, influenced how I portrayed my style in my paintings. As I pursued to continue my career as an historical painter I learned to look to ancient classical sculptures and when historical painters such as myself, looked to nature we were meant to perfect on it. With all the imperfection, truly grand pieces were meant to be smoothed out. If it was meant to be a history painting it was meant to be idealized and meant to inspire. History painting in my time was seen to be high art or a grander type of art and it gave a better image to the artist himself.(Royal Academy of Arts History-Painter to the King) Later in my life however, although I was still devoted to my old neoclassical kind of style I started to experiment with a more expressive, close to nature and emotional style. This style was called romanticism. My pieces really started to show more of an expressionate side.(Encyclopedia of Art History)
RE: That’s so amazing that you were so passionate about the arts to practice for so long on your own.
RE:Question 5. Did major cultural, economic and political situations of the time impact any your work? If so how?
BW:
During my lifetime the culture of society and the money I received from sponsorship definitely impacted how my work was created, shown and was perceived by others. But it was in a surprisingly good way. I strived to be a famous history painter, I wanted to be known as the “American Raphel” and the way people looked at history paintings really benefited me. The culture of that time saw history painting as a grander style or type of art.(Royal Academy of Arts History-Painter to the King) Some of the pieces I had painted such as The Death of General Wolfe(1770, National Gallery of Art, Ottwa) really sealed my reputation. I was able to display the historical characters in modern dress. It was so well received that many artists became inspired by me and its success had made my name really stand out.(Encyclopedia of Art History) The money I obtained also impacted how I was viewed because the higher classes were more respected. For getting my finances covered and being able to travel to an entirely different country, I was able to meet other fellow artists and gain great connections. By the time I went to England I had a reputation from my wealth, my American heritage and from the exploration I took in Italy like no American had ever done before. (Monkhouse 1885-1900) It gave my artist personna a sharp edge and my pieces soon did follow with popularity.
For political situations when I traveled to England I became good friends with George III. It was 1768 when I became patrons with the King. When we talked we mostly had conversations about how to promote visual art. We discussed how the country should showcase more with the creation of art and start to proudly display appreciation towards the visual arts. While we wanted to show the arts, we wanted to show the arts through education. This lead to the eventual creation of the Royal Academy of Arts in London.(Totallyhistory 2012) King George placed me as a charter member of the academy and I was also placed to the royal court as well. I was able to eventually teach some of the fine students there from the experiences I had and from examples from my own work. Although I knew my home was now in England I never forgot about my American past. I happily opened doors to American artists. Studio instruction, entrée into the galleries and collections we had and access to the Academy were all given to them.(Barratt 2004)
RE: Question 6. What were major accomplishments you had? What kinds of methods did you use?
BW:
I think the best accomplishments I ever had ranged from pieces I gained great attention from, placement of positions, and access to new opportunities. I look back in my life and really see that gaining that education to the college in Philadelphia was one of the first huge accomplishments that I had made. My own work caught the eyes from a man looking for potential. He saw my portraits and all of my work throughout my younger years finally became worth so much more. Meeting George the III was also pretty remarkable. George was a king that had absolutely no purpose of ever talking to me at first. My popularity, my image is what led me to meet him, discuss with him and eventually be offered knighthood. I however refused. Being a knight would not add onto the image, the superior status, the fame I had worked from my own work.(Monkhouse 1885-1900)
One of my most famous works of art I have ever created was The Death of General Wolfe. I painted this in 1771 and it showed the British General’s death during the Battle of Quebec in 1759. This piece took place in the Seven Years’ War. (Totallyhitsory 2012) This piece truly did carry on my legacy, for many reasons. It was the painting that had become the most reproduced image than any of my other paintings before, it gained amazing amounts of popularity, and it was reviewed and critiqued by many.(Encyclopedia of Art History)
When I painted The Death of General Wolfe or with any piece for that matter, I used a lot of expressive colors and had a very moving composition. I painted in large scale. In my time a bigger scale gave the paintings a more powerful presentation of the artwork. For my own personal reasons as an artist I painted in a big scale so I could have viewers be able to associate more easily with the scenes that I had painted. (Totallyhistory 2012)
RE: Question 7. What were the key opportunities you had that led to turning points in your life and art?
BW:
I had many opportunities in my life. My talent became well known with the people I lived with and in my home town. I was able to go to the college of Philadelphia and study there when I was eighteen and I traveled to Italy in only my twenties. My sponsors were the ones who sent me out to Europe and provided me money. I was able to meet other fellow artists when I was in Italy, gained great connections and traveled to famous cities there such as Rome and Venice. I experienced a popular wave of Neoclassical art that I was able to learn from and I was able to settle in England in 1763.
In England I started to really create and paint historic events and gained more popularity for it. My historic paintings were on a grander scale in England. I became friends with KIng George III and he placed me as the historical painter for the royal court in 1772. After many years I became the president for the Royal Academy of Arts that the king and I used to discuss about. It was there where I taught students for a time. (The State Museum of Pennsylvania)
I hope that was helpful my dear. I tried to sum everything up since it was so much.
RE: It was and don’t worry at all about anything. I’m asking for a lot out of you so do not worry one bit.
RE: Question 8. What hardships or roadblocks did you have to overcome in order to be an artist?
BW:
One of the hardest times for me was when I first became interested in the visual arts. I mentioned before that when I was young, I didn’t live in a town that was flourished with the arts. I had to figure a lot of things out on my own at first. I lived among Quakers who didn’t have such an excitement for art that others did.(Your Dictionary-Biography) I was given only what my parents could afford and what they had. I made my own brushes a lot of times and made my own colors of paint. Although people were generous and kind and gave me some paints. (Monkhouse 1885-1900) I was also was not a very forceful writer and I lacked a lot of formal education. (Grossman 2015)
Although I did have struggles in my life, I still continue to struggle with my neglection after my death. My legacy sadly didn’t continue in a strong way. I'm not well known by many. My work is still questioned by historians and is misunderstood a lot. (Grossman 2015) I am disappointed that my life was not remembered so well after I had worked so hard as an painter.
RE: Question 9. What personal stories best illustrate how you became successful in the arts?
BW:
I can remember a time when I was much younger and my mother kissed me for drawing my little sister. I remember when I had picked up some cheep pencils and paper and started to draw my sister when she was just a baby. She was sleeping and I tried the best I could to capture her face. I admired the way she slept and I wanted to draw it. My mother saw me late at night and questioned my actions like any mother or father would. With panic I became frightened she would be angry and upset. I showed her the drawing I made and she smiled, hugged me and kissed me and I definitely was not expecting her to do what she did. I never forgot about that moment.
Her encouragement and support is what made me a painter. Her happiness for my drawing is what drove me to continue drawing, painting with what I had, and improve in any way I could. (Jackson 1900)
RE: Question 10. How did your work impact the world of art?
My work made a huge impact on history painting. It made a bigger impact than I ever expected it would. I redefined history painting through the way I had painted historical events. My techniques and my styles influenced how historical painting was like beyond my own life. I inspired a great deal of American artists as well. A following of painters came to London to search and seek even help and advice. From myself and the Royal Academy of Arts. A large amount of people who now know my work describe myself as the “Father of American Painting”.(Encyclopedia of Art History)
Many of the most famous American artists wouldn’t be known let alone have been painting if I had not pushed myself to go to Europe and become the first well known American painter in my time. I was also a teacher to many of these young American artists at the Royal Academy. They represented my teaching and guidance. My students went on to make their own art throughout the nineteenth century. (Barratt 2004) They went on to make their work truly great.
RE: It looks like I have run out of questions for you Mr. West. Thank you so much for your time.
BW: It was great to reflect on so many parts of my life and my own work. Farewell Ms. Maneval.
RE: It looks like I have run out of questions for you Mr. West. Thank you so much for your time.
BW: It was great to reflect on so many parts of my life and my own work. Farewell Ms. Maneval.
Sources
1.Benjamin West and the Struggle to be Modern by Loyd Grossman (Author) October 13, 2015
2. Barratt, Carrie Rebora. "Students of Benjamin West (1738–1820)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.< http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bwst/hd_bwst.htm (October 2004)>
3. Dictionary of national Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 60
<https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/West,_Benjamin_(DNB00)>
3. Henry Ezekiel Jackson Benjamin West: his life and work The J.C. Winston Co., 1900. <https://books.google.com/books?id=LtoKCP9gYwUC&dq=Benjamin+West&source=gbs_navlinks_s>
4. Hughes, Robert (1997). American Visions: The Epic History of Art in America. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 70. ISBN 0-679-42627-2
5. Hughes (1997), American Visions, p. 71
6. "Introducing Benjamin West". Royal Academy of Art. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
7.John Galt, The Life and Studies of Benjamin West, Esq. (1816).
8.Lister, Raymond (1989). British Romantic Painting. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521356879.
9. Copyright © 2012 · totallyhistory.com <http://totallyhistory.com/benjamin-west/>
The J. Paul Getty Museum © J. Paul Getty Trust < http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/679/ benjamin-west-american-1738-1820-active-england/>
10. The J. Paul Getty Museum © J. Paul Getty Trust < http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/679/ benjamin-west-american-1738-1820-active-england/>
11. The State Museum of Pennsylvania: The William Penn Treaty <http://statemuseumpa.org/penn-treaty/creating/part2.htm>
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