“...your most obliged servant, Benjamin West”: America’s First Artistic Mentor

Andrés De los Ríos On Monday, July 13, 1805, some of the greatest minds and men of Philadelphia met to take yet another step in the development of their country’s arts. Gathered inside the home of future House Representative Joseph Hopkinson were some of the city’s most illustrious figures at the time: Pennsylvania District Attorney, William Rawle; founding father, George Clymer; Chief Justice William Tilghman; and eminent artist Charles Willson Peale, to name a few. This prominent group made history that day by finally naming their latest contribution to Philadelphia’s (and by extension, the United States’) cultural landscape; thus, they officially became the Board of Directors for “the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts” (PAFA)—the country’s first museum and school dedicated solely to the collection, dissemination, and education of the arts. Following this memorable act, the Academy’s directors agreed on the next order of business: “that from a high respect entertained for the genius, talents, and distinguished fame of our Countryman Benjamin West, he be elected an honorary Member of this Academy” (PAFA Minutes). This motion—taken in the midst of momentous deliberations—reveals the expatriate’s place in the hearts and minds of his fellow Philadelphians, for whom he provided a symbolic base upon which to build their artistic enterprise. This paper will present West’s role as a remote yet essential embodiment of the academic models and artistic practices that would foster the development of the fine arts in the flourishing North American colonies. In other words, it will argue that Benjamin West was, until his death in 1820, an active contributor who represented both the traditional, or European origins of American artistry and the first steps into new, expanded modes of art.

While most scholars agree that West began his long career in the arts during his humble beginnings in Springfield, Pennsylvania, none deny the importance of the three years he spent in Continental Europe between 1760-3, a watershed experience in his artistic education that later influenced American art as a whole. The artist himself believed the experience to be so critical that he frequently urged his future students to follow his exact steps, going so far as to lay out a specific itinerary for American, British, and German artists alike (Lloyd 150; Forster-Hahn 367). In Italy, West was the first American artist to see firsthand the masterpieces of Europe’s Renaissance and to copy them for the purpose of his own studies. In the academies and collections of Rome, Bologna, Venice, and Florence, West found himself learning directly from the works of Old Masters like Raphael, Titian, and Correggio (Lloyd 151). From each artist, West extracted various qualities worth emulating in his own pieces: in Michelangelo, he thus found “a compleat [sic] knowledge of the form of the human figure”; Veronese in turn produced “relieffe [sic] and harmony” through an excellent use of shadows; and Raphael gave “property and fitness to his subject” thanks to the “fine fancey arraignment [sic] of his figures” (Forster-Hahn 368-9). As shown in the writings of Charles Willson Peale, Thomas Sully, and Leigh Hunt, the expatriate’s veneration for the painters of old would endure well into his later years (Peale 1766-9, Memoirs; West 1755-1819, Selected Papers; Sully to PAFA 30 Aug. 1808). Once he became London’s most successful artist, West filled his own domestic spaces with works by Rubens, Raphael, and Titian, all ripe for imitation by novice and senior artists alike as lasting “‘sources’ from which to learn ‘perfection in the art of painting’” (Weber 28; Forster- Hahn 373).

“…your most obliged servant, Benjamin West” 13 FIGURE 1 Benjamin West, The Death of General Wolfe, 1770, oil on canvas, 60 x 84 7/16 in. National Gallery of Canada, Gift of the 2nd Duke of Westminster to the Canadian War Memorials, 1918; Transfer from the Canadian War Memorials, 1921, no. 8007

But while the whole Grand Tour had much to offer in terms of pictorial inspiration, only in Rome could West and his contemporaries study the world’s major collections of classical sculpture. After his visit to the Eternal City, Benjamin West would argue for the rest of his life in favor of Roman forms as essential models in the education of any artist. In a letter to Charles Willson Peale, West explained that these figures presented a “correctness of outline, and the justness of character in the human figure” that “leave no room for improvements” (Prown 29). As evidenced by paintings such as Penn’s Treaty With the Indians, or Hercules Between Virtue and Vice, throughout his career West made frequent use of Roman figures like theApollo Belvedere and the Vatican Meleager in order to embellish his characters with the imposing gravitas of the ancients (35). Later on, urged by West himself, the two contemporary American art academies in Philadelphia and New York chose to follow in his footsteps and invest in casts of Greek and Roman sculptures (West to PAFA 22 Jul. 1807). West perceived these to be necessary materials “to instruct not only the mind of the student in what is excellent in art—but that should equally instruct the eye and judgement of the public to know and properly appreciate excellence when it is produced” (West to Rawle 21 Sep. 1805). This is why one can now find classical masterpieces worthy of est’sW own domestic collection such as the aforementioned Apollo Belvedere, the Venus de Medici, and the Laocoön, still being studied and sketched by new generations of aspiring artists at PAFA’s school (Weber 27-8).

In addition to his fervent devotion to the artistic lessons embodied in classical subjects, West was also a firm believer in their traditional role as visual representations of virtue. In a letter to Rembrandt Peale, West stressed the Plutarchian potential of these figures in art, believing that they could grant paintings the “powers to dignify man, by transmitting to posterity his noble actions … to be viewed in those invaluable lessons of religion, love of country, and morality” (Evans 142). Despite his confidence in the moral value of history painting and its hoards of ancient characters, West would be one of the first artists to take the genre one step further. According to an anonymous account composed around 1770, the American was the only artist “bold enough to paint a subject out of the days of the country to which [he] belongs,” thus breaking the genre’s bonds to the backgrounds of Greece and Rome (Letter ca.1770). A century and a half later, art historian Edgar Wind also commented that West, in the

14 Expanding the Audience for Art in the 19th Century FIGURE 2 Matthew Pratt, The American School, 1765, oil on canvas, 36 x 50 1/4 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Samuel P. Avery, 1897, 97.29.3

Death of General Wolfe (fig. 1), managed to do the impossible by depicting heroes of his age with the same honor and reverence that befitted classical models (Wind 117). This resulted in a form of art that conserved the artistic principles of the historical genre while at the same time engaging an expanded, modern audience. Although few might have read Livy’s account on Regulus’s departure from Rome, most at the time understood the “message of virtue, courage, and self-sacrifice” embodied in General James Wolfe (Abrams 180).

Further proof of West breaking away from traditional artistic patterns and stepping onto new ground is found in his role as a teacher. As exemplified in Matthew Pratt’s studio painting, The American School (fig. 2)—where West stands in green to the left of the scene—the expatriate differed from his British peers not only in his enthusiastic willingness to receive American artists, but also in his fatherly optimism and uncommon accessibility (Evans 21). Over the course of his career West received more than two dozen American artists in his home at Newman Street; this select group (dubbed “America’s First Academy” by scholar Frederick Logan) spawned three generations of artists, including Matthew Pratt, Charles Willson Peale, Gilbert Stuart, John Singleton Copley, Thomas Sully, and John Trumbull, to name but a few (Logan 26; Evans, Taste of His Times 109). Thanks to the letters these men composed during or after their time with West, one can get a glimpse of the artist as an open, amicable role model. For example, William Dunlap described his mentor as having “no secrets or mysteries, [for] he told all he knew”—a stark contrast to Sir Joshua Reynolds, West’s predecessor as president of the Royal Academy, whose students were “absolute strangers” to his methods. Driving the point home, Charles Robert Leslie outlined West’s morning schedule as beginning with an early inspection of his pupils’ works, during which he offered valuable advice before heading to his own canvas (Evans 22). West’s “parental fondness” and “gentle humanity” towards his American students stand out even more in light of the many periods of hostility between Great Britain and the United States; as Samuel Morse bluntly described it in a letter from 1811, the Britons “no longer despise, they hate the Americans.” (Rather 329). And yet despite the turbulent relations between these nations, West extended to all American artists the reception he offered to his friend, John Green: “I shall most gladly receive you and

“…your most obliged servant, Benjamin West” 15 FIGURE 3 Benjamin West, Christ Healing the Sick, 1817, oil on canvas, 132 x 216 in. Pennsylvania Hospital Collection, University of Pennsylvania, 2013.0003.0119

if I am so happy from any little knowledge I may posses in the art of painting to be of any use to you I shall have the highest pleasure of obliging you” (West to Green, 10 Sep. 1771).

But Benjamin West’s open attitude was only half of his educational program. Inside his home in London, the artist arranged his collection such that the house was transformed into a space for both the presentation and education of art—in a strikingly similar fashion to what we can find nowadays within PAFA’s halls. A contemporary account from author Leigh Hunt gives a sense of the layout of West’s home and the artistic narrative he meant it to present. West’s trail of galleries first introduced visitors to the influential works and casts of the Old Masters. After a room dedicated to the art of his students, West presented his audience with an arrangement of preliminary studies for his larger projects, followed by a set of galleries showcasing his grand-scale history paintings. Finally, at the end of the trail, West opened the doors of his own workshop to all visitors in order to show them his latest project. This unique mixture of Classical, contemporary, and even preparatory art exposes West’s deliberate manipulation of space to create a didactic setting that teaches the history of art, including his current work in progress (Weber 17). And it was within this space that, in the days before the proliferation of public collections, students, patrons, and other interested parties could educate themselves in the intricate processes of art.

Benjamin West’s unique understanding of the relationships between art, space, and the public is further demonstrated by his use of theatrical arrangements to better engage his viewers. West surrounded his most famous pieces with “state-of-the-art lighting, velvet hangings, fine furnishings, and carpets” that magnified the grandeur of each piece, making a spectacle out of every painting (Weber 20). Likewise, West’s desire to make both art and gallery come alive manifested itself in his collaboration with the Pennsylvania Hospital. After accepting the institution’s commission for one of his works—the future Christ Healing the Sick—(fig. 3), West insisted on the construction of a unique “picture house” made for the sole purpose of exhibiting the painting. In a letter to the Hospital’s managers, West included a geometric plan of this building to make sure its style and natural light were adequate for maximum appreciation of the artwork. The artist also shared with the managers some advice on the necessary arrangements for the impending exhibition of the painting, such as charging a quarter of a dollar for admissions, printing a catalogue describing the painting, and keeping the revenue gained from the endeavor for the hospital’s future

16 Expanding the Audience for Art in the 19th Century FIGURE 4 Thomas Sully (after Charles R. Leslie, after Sir Thomas Lawrence, ca. 1820), Benjamin West, 1864, oil on canvas, 58 5/8 x 48 1/4 in. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Pennsylvania Academy purchase, 1864.1

development (West to Managers 1 Aug. 1817; West to Coates 6 Aug. 1817; West to Wharton 17 Mar. 1814). In the end, the revenues vindicated West’s recommendations: even taking into consideration the expenses used for the construction of the picture house, Dr. Thomas Morton reported an income of over $25,000 between 1817 and 1843 just from admission fees (Dillenberger 117). West’s theatrical arrangements and gains later motivated American artists such as Rembrandt Peale and John Vanderlyn to see “exhibition pieces” as potential sources of income for artists who, bored by monotonous portrait commissions, sought both greater artistic challenges and a broader, more democratic audience (Dickson 10). This enterprise, as historian Kaylin Weber has noted, not only demonstrated West’s unrivaled ability to attract and engage audiences, but also previewed “the innovative and dramatic exhibition spaces of the early nineteenth century” (Weber 45).

Benjamin West’s interactions with the Pennsylvania Hospital along with his nomination as honorary academician for PAFA are but two examples of his intimate involvement in the growing cultural landscape of Philadelphia. Until his death in 1820, West neither forgot about his native land, nor did his country forget about him. A look at the artist’s

“…your most obliged servant, Benjamin West” 17 letters reveals a man who, until his death, rejoiced at the achievements (political and artistic) of the new American nation. Writing in 1783 to Charles Willson Peale after the Revolutionary War, West congratulated his countrymen “on the event of Peace and the fortitude the[y] have shown during the unhappy war.” West would also explicitly express his hopes that the United States differed from Britain, where local artists have been “excluded to eternal disgrace” in favor of foreign works, thereby crippling the country’s local genius (West to President and Directors of PAFA 18 Sep. 1805). Instead, he envisioned the United States as an “empire bursting into magnitude of the first order,” with Philadelphia taking the role of “Athens”—where the fine arts would flourish thanks to the “eminent men” of her “greatly distinguished” Academy (West to PAFA 22 Jul. 1807). But regardless of his overflowing excitement, the artist could not return to his home country; his professional, social, and personal bonds in London proved too strong (Rather 328).

Despite West’s physical absence from his home country, Americans (particularly Philadelphians) still considered him integral to their cultural advancement. In 1807, Robert Fulton wrote to PAFA insisting that they “procure some of [West’s] finest performances” in order to present them to the American public as “proof of the genius of our country” and to the Academy’s students as “specimens of fine taste to be imitated” (Fulton to PAFA 18 Nov. 1807). In a similar vein, Thomas Sully sent a letter to PAFA’s directors one year later requesting their sponsorship for a twelve- month trip to West’s workshop in London. Here, Sully planned to return the investment by copying some of West’s works; those copies would in turn serve to enhance PAFA’s collection (Sully to PAFA 4 Feb. 1809). Sully and his contemporaries continued their reverence of West’s life and deeds even after their mentor’s death: even as late as 1864, Sully copied Sir Thomas Lawrence’s portrait of West with Philadelphia’s own Christ Healing the Sick hanging on the background (fig. 4).

Benjamin West has thus stepped into the history of American art as an essential figure in the exhibition of art to visitors from all classes and origins. As argued in this paper, despite his European influences, West contributed in many ways to a new era of American public art. Not only did he move away from classical subjects to record contemporary events and sentiments, but he also introduced generations of American artists to new modes of artistic education and presentation. These innovations and his role as symbolic figurehead of the nation’s artistic potential in turn fostered an appreciation of the fine arts in the flourishing cultural identity of his native Philadelphia and, overall, in the early American republic.

18 Expanding the Audience for Art in the 19th Century WORKS CITED

Anonymous. Letter to Unknown. c. 1770. The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West in extra-illustrated form, circa 1787-1822. Box 2, Folder 6. Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Abrams, Ann U. The Valiant Hero: Benjamin West and Grand-style History Painting. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1985.

Board of Directors of The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Minutes from 13 Jul. 1805. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Archives.

Coates, Samuel. Letter to Benjamin West. 1801. University Hospital Archives.

Dickson, Harold E. “Artists as Showmen.” American Art Journal 5, no. 1 (1973): 4-17.

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---. Letter to PAFA. 12 Apr. 1810. PAFA Archives.

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---. Letter to PAFA. 4 Feb. 1809. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Archives.

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---. Letter to Samuel Coates. 8 Jul. 1801. Pennsylvania Hospital Archives.

---. Letter to Clymer, Rawle, and James. 21 Sep. 1805. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Archives.

---. Letter to William Rawle. 21 Sep. 1805. Benjamin West selected papers 1755-1819. Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

---. Letter to the President and Directors of PAFA. 28 Sep. 1805. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Archives.

---. Letter to PAFA. 22 Jul. 1807. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Archives.

---. Letter to Joseph Wharton. 17 Mar. 1814. Pennsylvania Hospital Archives.

---. Letter to Pennsylvania Hospital Managers. 1 Aug. 1817. Pennsylvania Hospital Archives

---. Letter to Samuel Coates. 6 Aug. 1817. Pennsylvania Hospital Archives.

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“…your most obliged servant, Benjamin West” 19