The Visual Arts: Painting

Benjamin West

American artist Benjamin West was born in 1738 in Springfield (now Swarthmore), Pennsylvania. Growing up in a Quaker community, West had to obtain permission to receive training in art, although he was encouraged by his parents to draw. Fortunately, he was granted permission and began his studies, training in Philadelphia, New York, Italy, and England. One of the first American artists to be successful in Europe, West remained in England for the rest of his life until his death in 1820.

West tended to paint historical and religious subjects, but declined to paint people dressed in Greek and Roman clothes, which was a European tradition at the time. His innovative subject matter caught the attention of King George III, who soon commissioned him to create several paintings. In 1972, West became president of the Royal Academy.

West's works, such as Agrippina Landing at Brundisium with the Ashes of Germanicus (1768); The Death of General Wolfe (1771); Penn's Treaty with the Indians (1772); and Death on a Pale Horse (1817), greatly influenced later artists, such as John Singleton Copley and Gilbert Stuart.

In the following painting, West depicts Romeo and Juliet embracing while Juliet's nurse persuades the lovers to separate.

click on image for larger view

Benjamin West (1738-1820) Romeo and Juliet (1778) Oil on canvas Located in the New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, Louisiana West has depicted Romeo in Juliet's chamber, rather than sticking to Shakespeare's original text, in which Juliet speaks to Romeo from her balcony. His decision to alter the setting of the secret encounter intensifies the suspense: Will Juliet's parents walk into the room and catch Romeo and their daughter embracing? West's effective rendition of this tense meeting compels viewers of the painting to sympathize with this feeling of anxiety.