Birth of the American School (Week 3) Flashcards
Benjamin West, Self Portrait, 1770
Benjamin West, Death of Socrates, 1756
William Williams, Portrait of a Boy, 1770-75
West’s teacher in America
Benjamin West, Agrippina Bringing the Ashes of Germanicus to Brundisium, 1768
extreme classicism
biblical, moralizing story
initiated relationship with English monarchy
Benjamin West, Death of General Wolfe, 1770
contemporary dress in a history painting - never done before
heroic self sacrifice
Benjamin West, Penn’s Treaty with the Indians, 1771-72
large contrast between indians and Europeans
Benjamin West, The Cave of Despair, 1772
British literature
popular tastes
Benjamin West, King Lear, 1778
British
baroque, dramatic intensity
Benjamin West, Death on a Pale Horse, 1796
scene from revelation
Matthew Pratt, The American School, 1765
Benjamin West and Pratt identified
West’s studio in London
John Singleton Copley, Self Portrait, 1769
Boston
John Singleton Copley, The Forge of Vulcan, 1754
John Singleton Copley, Mary and Elizabeth Royall, 1758
before London
fabric
sense of individuality
John Singleton Copley, Boy with a Squirell, 1765
painting sent to England
began 9 year correspondence with West
John Singleton Copley, Paul Revere, 1768
John Singleton Copley, Samuel Adams, 1770-72
John Singleton Copley, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin, 1773
John Singleton Copley, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Izard, 1775
grand tour with the Izards
references to many things seen in travels
knowledge of the classics and cultural intellect
John Singleton Copley, The Copley Family, 1776-7
shift in portraiture from individual to group
demonstrates skills learned in England
John Singleton Copley, Watson and the Shark, 1778
title important - demonstrates real life event
recent news, flips history painting
Clancy argues based on Ribera’s Prometheus
John Singleton Copley, Death of the Earl of Chatham, 1779-81
John Singleton Copley, Midshipman Augustus Brine, 1782
Copley has full command of color, texture
Benjamin West
1748 - 1760 America
grand tour
Settled in England by 1763 remained until end of career 1820
royal painter to the King
President of Royal Academy after Reynolds
huge impact on American painting
artists training in his studio
John Singleton Copley
Leaves for Europe in 1774 before Revolutionary War
Goes on a grand tour with the Izards
doesn’t return to America
Not a student of Benjamin West
