Benjamin West

66 works held in 22 museums

History painter born in Pennsylvania, painter to King George III and President of the Royal Academy, 1738-1820

Self-Portrait, Benjamin West

Self-Portrait, 1819.

Benjamin West (American), oil on cardboard

Smithsonian American Art Museum, United States

The Death of Lord Nelson in the Cockpit of the Ship 'Victory', Benjamin West

The Death of Lord Nelson in the Cockpit of the Ship 'Victory', 1808.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Royal Museums Greenwich, United Kingdom

Destruction of the Beast and the False Prophet, Benjamin West

Destruction of the Beast and the False Prophet, 1804.

Benjamin West (American), oil on wood

Minneapolis Institute of Art, United States

Maria Hamilton Beckford (Mrs. William Beckford), Benjamin West

Maria Hamilton Beckford (Mrs. William Beckford), 1799.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

National Gallery of Art, United States

Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky, Benjamin West

Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky, c. 1816.

Benjamin West (American), oil on slate

Philadelphia Museum of Art, United States

The Apotheosis of Nelson, Benjamin West

The Apotheosis of Nelson, 1807.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Yale Center for British Art, United States

Belisarius and the Boy, Benjamin West

Belisarius and the Boy, 1802.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Detroit Institute of Arts, United States

Elizabeth, Countess of Effingham, Benjamin West

Elizabeth, Countess of Effingham, c. 1797.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

National Gallery of Art, United States

Death on the Pale Horse, Benjamin West

Death on the Pale Horse, 1796.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Detroit Institute of Arts, United States

The Damsel and Orlando, Benjamin West

The Damsel and Orlando, c. 1793.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Metropolitan Museum of Art, United States

Edward III with the Black Prince after the Battle of Crécy, Benjamin West

Edward III with the Black Prince after the Battle of Crécy, 1788.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Royal Collection, United Kingdom

George III, Benjamin West

George III, 1783.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Cleveland Museum of Art, United States

Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyontye (Captain David Hill), Benjamin West

Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyontye (Captain David Hill), 1776.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

National Gallery of Art, United States

Rebecca Receiving the Bracelet at the Well, Benjamin West

Rebecca Receiving the Bracelet at the Well, 1775.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Yale Center for British Art, United States

Elizabeth West (née Shewell) and Her Son Raphael, Benjamin West

Elizabeth West (née Shewell) and Her Son Raphael, c. 1773.

Elizabeth West (née Shewell), and Her Son Raphael (museum title)

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Yale Center for British Art, United States

Hamlet: Act IV, Scene V (Ophelia before the King and Queen), Benjamin West

Hamlet: Act IV, Scene V (Ophelia before the King and Queen), 1792.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Cincinnati Art Museum, United States

Edward, the Black Prince, receiving King John of France after the Battle of Poitiers, Benjamin West

Edward, the Black Prince, receiving King John of France after the Battle of Poitiers, 1788.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Royal Collection, United Kingdom

The Battle of La Hogue, Benjamin West

The Battle of La Hogue, 1778.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

National Gallery of Art, United States

Hagar and Ishmael, Benjamin West

Hagar and Ishmael, 1776.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Metropolitan Museum of Art, United States

Cupid, Stung by a Bee, Is Cherished by His Mother, Benjamin West

Cupid, Stung by a Bee, Is Cherished by His Mother, 1774.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

National Gallery of Art, United States

The Cave of Despair, Benjamin West

The Cave of Despair, 1772.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Yale Center for British Art, United States

John Eardley Wilmot, Benjamin West

John Eardley Wilmot, 1812.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Yale Center for British Art, United States

The Immortality of Nelson, Benjamin West

The Immortality of Nelson, 1807.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Royal Museums Greenwich, United Kingdom

Moses Shown the Promised Land, Benjamin West

Moses Shown the Promised Land, 1801.

Benjamin West (American), oil on wood

Metropolitan Museum of Art, United States

General Thaddeus Kosciusko, Benjamin West

General Thaddeus Kosciusko, 1797.

Benjamin West (American), oil on mahogany

Allen Memorial Art Museum, United States

The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, Benjamin West

The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, 1791.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

National Gallery of Art, United States

Edward III Crossing the Somme, Benjamin West

Edward III Crossing the Somme, 1788.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Royal Collection, United Kingdom

The Death of Chatham, Benjamin West

The Death of Chatham, 1778.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Yale Center for British Art, United States

Helen Brought to Paris, Benjamin West

Helen Brought to Paris, 1776.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Smithsonian American Art Museum, United States

The Death of Epaminondas, Benjamin West

The Death of Epaminondas, 1773.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Royal Collection, United Kingdom

The Artist and His Family, Benjamin West

The Artist and His Family, c. 1772.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Yale Center for British Art, United States

Omnia Vincit Amor, or The Power of Love in the Three Elements, Benjamin West

Omnia Vincit Amor, or The Power of Love in the Three Elements, 1809.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Metropolitan Museum of Art, United States

The Death of Nelson, Benjamin West

The Death of Nelson, 1806.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Walker Art Gallery, United Kingdom

Milkmaids in St James's Park, Westminster Abbey Beyond, Benjamin West

Milkmaids in St James's Park, Westminster Abbey Beyond, c. 1801.

Milkmaids in St. James's Park, Westminster Abbey Beyond (museum title)

Benjamin West (American), oil on wood

Yale Center for British Art, United States

Woodcutters in Windsor Great Park, Benjamin West

Woodcutters in Windsor Great Park, 1795.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Indianapolis Museum of Art, United States

Portrait of a Man, Benjamin West

Portrait of a Man, 1790s.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Art Institute of Chicago, United States

Queen Philippa Interceding for the Lives of the Burghers of Calais, Benjamin West

Queen Philippa Interceding for the Lives of the Burghers of Calais, 1788.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Detroit Institute of Arts, United States

The Bard, Benjamin West

The Bard, 1778.

Benjamin West (American), oil on oak

Tate, United Kingdom

The Golden Age, Benjamin West

The Golden Age, 1776.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Tate, United Kingdom

Cymon and Iphigenia, Benjamin West

Cymon and Iphigenia, 1773.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Los Angeles County Museum of Art, United States

Portrait of George, First Lord Lyttelton, Benjamin West

Portrait of George, First Lord Lyttelton, c. 1772.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Clark Art Institute, United States

Telemachus and Calypso, Benjamin West

Telemachus and Calypso, c. 1809.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

National Gallery of Art, United States

Cicero Discovering the Tomb of Archimedes, Benjamin West

Cicero Discovering the Tomb of Archimedes, 1804.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Yale University Art Gallery, United States

Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant, Benjamin West

Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant, 1800.

Benjamin West (American), oil on wood

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia

Gentlemen Fishing, Benjamin West

Gentlemen Fishing, 1794.

Benjamin West (American), oil on slate

Yale Center for British Art, United States

The Burghers of Calais, Benjamin West

The Burghers of Calais, 1789.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Royal Collection, United Kingdom

The Bathing Place at Ramsgate, Benjamin West

The Bathing Place at Ramsgate, c. 1788.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Yale Center for British Art, United States

Queen Charlotte, Benjamin West

Queen Charlotte, 1777.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Yale Center for British Art, United States

Portrait of the Drummond Family, Benjamin West

Portrait of the Drummond Family, c. 1776.

Portrait of the Drummond Family, Peter Auriol Drummond… (museum title)

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Minneapolis Institute of Art, United States

The Artist and His Son Raphael, Benjamin West

The Artist and His Son Raphael, 1773.

Benjamin West (American), oil on canvas

Yale Center for British Art, United States

Works by Benjamin West (1738-1820), in the public domain, each linked to its record in the museum that holds it. Born in the British colony of Pennsylvania and trained in Rome, West settled in London in 1763 and spent his whole career there: history painter to King George III, he succeeded Joshua Reynolds as President of the Royal Academy in 1792. With The Death of General Wolfe (1770) he dared to show a recent battle in contemporary dress rather than in classical costume, and renewed history painting. Here are his battles, from Crécy and Poitiers to La Hogue, Quebec and Trafalgar, his great subjects from the Bible, antiquity and literature, genre scenes and portraits. Only works that the museums give to West without reservation, and of which a freely reusable photograph exists, are included. The titles are those of the museums, with their translation.