23 Works, December 18th. is Frank O. Salisbury's day, his art, illustrated with footnotes #251

Frank O. Salisbury (British, 1874–1962)

Onward Christian Soldiers, c. 1911

Oil on canvas

63 x 90 cm. (24.8 x 35.4 in.)

Private collection

Painted in 1911 it is a figurative landscape of soldiers on the battlefield. The two central characters, the 'Christian Soldiers' from the early crusades have halos and ride through the chaos on white horses. Shafts on light with angels illuminate them and also a crucifix. A very powerful Edwardian religious oil painting and an excellent example of O'Salisbury's work. painted in oil and illuminated in gold leaf.

Frank Owen Salisbury

The passing of war

Watercolour heightened with metallic paints on buff paper

40 x 59cm; 15x 23in

Private collection

Francis ("Frank") Owen Salisbury (18 December 1874 – 31 August 1962) was an English artist who specialised in portraits, large canvases of historical and ceremonial events, stained glass and book illustration. In his heyday he made a fortune on both sides of the Atlantic and was known as "Britain’s Painter Laureate". His art was steadfastly conservative and he was a vitriolic critic of Modern Art – particularly of his contemporaries Picasso, Chagall and Mondrian. His father, Henry Salisbury, described himself as a "plumber, decorator and ironmonger" (his mother was Susan Hawes), yet his son Frank would become one of the greatest society artists of his generation.

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Finding of Moses, c. 1895

Oil on canvas

H 126 x W 100 cm

Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust, Brighton & Hove

The Finding of Moses is the story in chapter 2 of the Book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible of the finding in the River Nile of Moses as a baby by the daughter of Pharaoh. The story became a common subject in art, especially from the Renaissance onwards. More on The Finding of Moses

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

The Quest of Saint George, c. early 20th C

Oil on canvas

H 152.4 x W 259 cm

National Museum Wales, National Museum Cardiff

Saint George (circa 275/281 – 23 April 303 AD) was a soldier in the Roman army who later became venerated as a Christian martyr. His parents were Christians of Greek background; his father Gerontius was a Roman army official from Cappadocia and his mother Polychronia was from Lydda, Syria Palaestina. Saint George became an officer in the Roman army in the Guard of Diocletian, who ordered his death for failing to recant his Christian faith.

 

In the fully developed Western version of the Saint George Legend, a dragon, or crocodile, makes its nest at the spring that provides water for the city of "Silene" (perhaps modern Cyrene in Libya or the city of Lydda in Palistine, depending on the source). Consequently, the citizens have to dislodge the dragon from its nest for a time, to collect water. To do so, each day they offer the dragon at first a sheep, and if no sheep can be found, then a maiden is the best substitute for one. The victim is chosen by drawing lots. One day, this happens to be the princess. The monarch begs for her life to be spared, but to no avail. She is offered to the dragon, but then Saint George appears on his travels. He faces the dragon, protects himself with the sign of the Cross, slays the dragon, and rescues the princess. The citizens abandon their ancestral paganism and convert to Christianity. More on Saint George

Francis Owen Salisbury, R.I., R.O.I., R.P. (1874-1962)

King Peter of Serbia retreating across the Albanian Mountains, c. 1915

Oil on canvas

83 x 144 in. (210.8 x 365.8 cm.)

Private collection

King Peter I of Serbia is regarded as one of the great Balkan leaders, both for his personal qualities as a leader, and his role in introducing democracy and reform to Serbia. Born in Belgrade in 1844, he was just 14 when he followed his father Prince Alexander into exile and he would not return to his homeland for over 50 years. In 1903, he returned to Serbia to ascend to the throne in the wake of the coup d'etat and assassination of King Alexander, in which he played no part.

In 1914 Arch-Duke Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated in Sarajevo by the terrorist group, the Black Hand. The assassination provided the Austro-Hungarian with an excuse to check growing Serbian nationalism and they accused Serbia of culpability for the assassination, demanding that Austrian officials be allowed to come to Serbia and lead the investigation into the assassination. Serbia refused, and as a consequence a state of war was established.

Despite repelling two Austro-Hungarian invasions, by autumn 1915, when Bulgaria mobilized its forces against Serbia, the country and army had been weakened by a typhus pandemic and could not withstand a third invasion by Germany and Austro-Hungary in October. With the Serbian army outnumbered two to one, the outcome was inevitable and Belgrade fell. The remainder of the Serbian army, with the aged King Peter and Crown Prince Alexander, retreated through Montenegro and the mountains of northern Albania in freezing conditions. More on this painting

Frank Owen Salisbury

King George V With The Prince Of Wales Visiting The Battlefields Of France, c.  1916

Oil on canvas, arched top

91.5cm x 61cm (36in x 24in)

Private collection

August 10 1916, Fricourt–King George had crossed over to France, visiting troops near Ypres before proceeding down to the Somme. While on the Somme, he met with his son, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), who was serving as a staff officer with XIV Corps.  He also met with General Rawlinson, commander of the Fourth Army.

The high casualties and few gains of the Somme Offensive meant that Haig had quickly gained detractors in Britain. More on King George V visit

One of 11 children, Salisbury was such a delicate child that he was educated at home, in the main by his student teacher sister, Emilie. He had only a few weeks formal schooling and began work by repairing bicycles at his father’s Cycle Depot in Harpenden. Uncertain as to his ability to find and maintain a job, the family determined that he be apprenticed, at the age of 15, to Henry James Salisbury, his eldest brother, who managed a major stained glass company in Alma Road, St Albans. 

Frank O. Salisbury (British, 1874–1962)

Sweetening the Hay

Oil on canvas

108 x 194 cm. (42.5 x 76.4 in.)

Private collection

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Escape: An Incident in the Destruction of Pompeii

Oil on canvas

H 106.5 x W 187.6 cm

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Cleopatra dancing in front of Commodus

Oil on canvas

101.5 x 127cm (39 15/16 x 50in)

Private collection

Commodus was a Roman emperor serving jointly with his father Marcus Aurelius from 176 until his father's death in 180, and solely until 192. His reign is commonly thought of as marking the end of a golden period of peace in the history of the Roman Empire, known as the Pax Romana.

Commodus accompanied his father during the Marcomannic Wars in 172, and on a tour of the Eastern provinces in 176. More on Commodus

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Marchioness of Winchester (1902–1995), c. 1956

Oil on canvas

H 200 x W 107 cm

Guildhall Winchester

Bapsy Paulet, Marchioness of Winchester, was an Indian socialite and aristocrat. She was born Bapsy Pavry of Bombay, the daughter of the Parsi Zoroastrian "Head Priest", the Most Rev. Cursetji Erachji Pavry. Her brother, Dr. Jal Pavry, and she travelled extensively, visiting Germany, Italy, Belgium, Greece, and Egypt, where they were received by Adolf Hitler, Pope Pius XI, Benito Mussolini as well as the respective monarchs of Belgium, Greece, Iran, Afghanistan and Egypt. In England she was received by King George and Queen Mary. She received an MA from Columbia University after initial schooling at St. Xavier's College in Bombay.

She lived in England from a young age, where she pursued a "campaign to become one of the great figures of the age".

Pavry and her brother Jal, also attended the Paris Peace Conference of the victorious Allies after the end of World War I. H. A. J Hulugalle, described her as the 'glamour girl' of the conference and mentions she was sitting in the gallery near to Ho Chi Minh.

In 1952, she married Henry Paulet, 16th Marquess of Winchester and became the Marchioness of Winchester, thought to be the only Indian Marchioness in history. Her husband, the childless widower Marquess, was ninety years old at the time. 

After the death of her brother Jal in 1985, the Marchioness returned to India and lived out the rest of her life there, dying in 1995.

She was active in global Zoroastrian affairs, using her status to petition the Iranian government to improve the status of the persecuted Iranian Zoroastrians. More on the Marchioness of Winchester

Frank O. Salisbury

Golden Threads

Oil on canvas

183 x 127 cm (6' x 4' 2")

Public collection

Frank Owen Salisbury (1874-1962)

The Sen Sisters, c. 1928

Oil on canvas

60 in. (152.5 cm.) diameter

Private collection

The sitters portrayed are Srilata, Arathi and Anjali Sen, the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Nirmal Sen. Their grandfather was Keshub Chandra Sen, a distinguished Hindu preacher and one of the founders of the Brahmo religious movement. Their aunt was Suniti Devi who, at the age of 14, was married off to the Maharaja of Cooch Behar in 1878. She became a favourite of the British aristocracy and made Queen Victoria godmother to her son Victor. Suniti's son Jit, first cousin to the Sen sisters married Indira, a daughter of the Maharaja of Baroda and a renowned beauty of her age. More on this painting

He rapidly acquired all the practical skills of a stained glass artist and exhibited exceptional skills in the painterly detail that was applied to glass before its final firing. This led to his brother sponsoring him to attend Heatherley’s School of Art three days a week to further a career in painting. He then won a scholarship to the Royal Academy Schools which he attended for five years and where he won two silver medals and two scholarships, including the Landseer scholarship which funded his to travel to Italy in 1896. In due course he would have seventy exhibits accepted for the annual Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions, from 1899 until 1943, though he was never offered membership, which reportedly disappointed him very much.

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon before Papal Legates at Blackfriars, 1529, c. 1910

Oil on canvas

H 205.7 x W 210.8 cm

Parliamentary Art Collection

The divorce of Henry VIII from Katherine of Aragon, instigated by the Kings desire for a male heir to the throne, was a major catalyst in the break from Rome and the introduction of Protestantism to England. This illustration shows the dramatic moment where, during the Kings petition for divorce before the Papal Legate and Cardinal Wolsey, the Queen enters the courtroom and kneeling down in sight of the whole court and assembly at the King's feet and in broken English makes her protest against the divorce, 'I take god and all the world to witness that I have been a true, humble and obedient wife'. The illustration depicts both the King and Queen with dark and pensive faces telling a quite personal story. More on this painting

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Battle of Jutland: Boy Cornwell VC.

Oil on canvas

Royal Navy

One of the defining images depicting an event in the Royal Navy’s long history, Boy John Travers Cornwell mortally wounded but standing by his post during the Battle of Jutland in 1916. More on Boy John Travers Cornwell

In 1901 he married Alice Maude (d. 1951), daughter of C. Colmer Greenwood, with whom he had several children, including twin daughters Monica and Sylvia. His first Royal Academy exhibit was a portrait of Alice and he often painted pictures of their children.

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Moses: The Friend of God, c. before 1954

Oil on canvas

H 75 x W 63 cm

John Wesley’s House & The Museum of Methodism

Moses' friendship with God is described as a relationship in which God speaks to Moses face to face. In some mysterious way Moses has access to God where Moses may speak his mind freely with God and engage in some persuasive debate. We see this in Exodus 32-33 where Moses tries to persuade God not to destroy Israel after the debacle of the golden calf. More on Moses, The Friend of God

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Elijah: The Warrior of God, c. before 1954

Oil on canvas

H 73 x W 63 cm

John Wesley’s House & The Museum of Methodism

Elijah, was, according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible, a prophet and a miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab. Elijah defended the worship of the Hebrew God over that of the Canaanite deity Baal. God also performed many miracles through Elijah, including resurrection, bringing fire down from the sky, and entering heaven alive "by fire". He is also portrayed as leading a school of prophets known as "the sons of the prophets". Following his ascension, Elisha, his disciple and most devoted assistant, took over his role as leader of this school. The Book of Malachi prophesies Elijah's return "before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD", making him a harbinger of the Messiah and of the eschaton in various faiths that revere the Hebrew Bible. References to Elijah appear in Sirach, the New Testament, the Mishnah and Talmud, the Quran, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and Baháʼí writings. More on Elijah

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Jeremiah: The Mediator of God, c. before 1954

Oil on canvas

H 75 x W 63 cm

John Wesley’s House & The Museum of Methodism

Jeremiah was active as a prophet from the thirteenth year of Josiah, king of Judah, until after the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon's Temple in 587 BC. This period spanned the reigns of five kings of Judah: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. The prophetess Huldah was a relative and contemporary of Jeremiah while the prophet Zephaniah was his mentor.

In addition to proclaiming many prophecies of Yahweh, the God of Israel, the Book of Jeremiah goes into detail regarding the prophet's private life, his experiences, and his imprisonment. More on Jeremiah

One of a series of dramatic oil on canvas studies of the biblical prophets by Frank O. Salisbury. Salisbury's work was illustrated in 'The Prophets of Israel', in 1933. More on this painting

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Daniel: The Statesman of God, c. before 1954

Oil on canvas

H 75 x W 62 cm

John Wesley’s House & The Museum of Methodism

Daniel, meaning "God is my Judge", the hero of the biblical Book of Daniel, is a Jewish youth of Jerusalem taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, serving the king and his successors with loyalty and ability until the time of the Persian conqueror Cyrus, all the while remaining true to the God of Israel. The consensus of most modern scholars is that Daniel is not an historical figure and that the book is a cryptic allusion to the reign of the 2nd century BCE Hellenistic king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. More on Daniel

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Jonah: The Messenger of God, c. before 1954

Oil on canvas

H 75 x W 62 cm

John Wesley’s House & The Museum of Methodism

Jonah is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran, from Gath-hepher of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BCE. Jonah is the central figure of the Book of Jonah, which details his reluctance in delivering God's judgement on the city of Nineveh, and then his subsequent, albeit begrudged, return to the divine mission after he is swallowed by a large sea creature. More on Jonah

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Ezekiel: The Priest-Prophet of God, c. before 1954

Oil on canvas

H 75 x W 63 cm

John Wesley’s House & The Museum of Methodism

Ezekiel, prophet-priest of ancient Israel and the subject and in part the author of an Old Testament book that bears his name. Ezekiel’s early oracles (from c. 592) in Jerusalem were pronouncements of violence and destruction; his later statements addressed the hopes of the Israelites exiled in Babylon. The faith of Ezekiel in the ultimate establishment of a new covenant between God and the people of Israel has had profound influence on the postexilic reconstruction and reorganization of Judaism. More on Ezekiel

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Amos: The Spokesman of God, c. before 1954

Oil on canvas

H 75 x W 63 cm

John Wesley’s House & The Museum of Methodism

Amos, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah, was active c. 750 BC during the reign of Jeroboam II (788–747 BC) of Samaria, making Amos the first prophetic book of the Bible to be written. Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah but preached in the northern kingdom of Israel. His major themes of social justice, God's omnipotence, and divine judgment became staples of prophecy. More on Amos

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Isaiah: The Appointed of God, c. before 1954

Oil on canvas

H 62 x W 72 cm

John Wesley’s House & The Museum of Methodism

Isaiah 49:5 GNT; Before I was born, the LORD appointed me; he made me his servant to bring back his people, to bring back the scattered people of Israel. The LORD gives me honor; he is the source of my strength. 

Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962)

Second Isaiah: The Forerunner of God's Great Day, c. before 1954

Oil on canvas

H 62 x W 72 cm

John Wesley’s House & The Museum of Methodism

Chapters 40–55 in the Book of Isaiah are believed to be the work of a prophet who lived with the Hebrew exiles during the Babylonian captivity. Because this prophet's real name is unknown and his work has been preserved in the collection of writings that include the prophecies of the earlier Isaiah, he is usually designated as Deutero-Isaiah — the second Isaiah. More on the Second Isaiah

Following his studies at the Royal Academy, London and a scholarship to visit Italy in 1896, he developed a taste for large scenes of pageantry and portraiture, painted in traditional style. He worked particularly in Britain and the United States of America, where he was known as Britain's 'Painter Laureate'.

Salisbury died on 31 August 1962 at Sarum Chase, the neo-Tudor mansion he built, in 1932, in Hampstead, London. He is buried in a rather unassuming grave, with his baby daughter Elaine Maude and his wife, in St Nicholas Churchyard, Harpenden. More on Frank O. Salisbury

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29 Works, October 9th. is Benjamin West's day, his art, illustrated with footnotes #220

Benjamin West, American, 1738-1820

Death on the Pale Horse, c. 1796

Oil on canvas

23 3/8 × 50 5/8 inches (59.4 × 128.6 cm)

Detroit Institute of Arts

The title of this painting is taken from the final book of the Bible, the Revelation of Saint John the Divine, which has often been interpreted as a symbolic description of warfare: “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth” (Rev. 6:8).

In this horrifying chronicle of the destruction of humankind, the rugged irregular forms, the dramatic contrasts of light and dark, and the dynamism of the turbulent movement combine with the distorted faces and pitiful gestures of the dead and dying to convey a sense of terror. The violent furor exhibits a destructive dynamism that makes this one of the most awesome depictions of the methods by which a world may be annihilated.

In 1796, the year this work was painted, England was at war with revolutionary France, and West’s picture may have been intended to comment on what was happening, or was expected to happen, in the contemporary world. More on this painting

Benjamin West, PRA (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as The Death of Nelson (See below), The Death of General Wolfe (See below), the Treaty of Paris (See below), and Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky (See below).

Benjamin West  (1738–1820)

The Death of Nelson, c. 1806

Oil on canvas and panel

Height: 182 mm (7.16 in); Width: 247.50 mm (9.74 in)

National Museums Liverpool

This painting shows the great British naval hero Lord Nelson on the deck of his ship 'Victory' at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. He lies dying after being shot by a French sniper. 

The wounded Nelson is seen here supported by Captain Hardy with Dr. Beatty and other figures bending over him. The group form the centre of the composition. Nelson was carried below deck after he was shot and in reality died there several hours later. The present composition is more dramatic for the purposes of this painting though. Dr. Beatty and Hardy both spent time with Nelson in the hours leading to his death. 

Crowds flocked to see this work when West exhibited it in his house a few months after the Battle of Trafalgar. Many of the portraits were said to be taken from life. The event, however, is presented in an idealistic and theatrical manner. More on this painting

Benjamin West  (1738–1820)

The Death of General Wolfe, c. 1770

Oil on canvas

Height: 152.6 cm (60 in); Width: 214.5 cm (84.4 in)

National Gallery of Canada  

The Death of General Wolfe depicts the Battle of Quebec, also known as the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, on September 13, 1759. This was a pivotal event in the Seven Years' War and decided the fate of France's colonies in North America.

The battle was fought between the British Army and the French Army; the pitched fighting lasted only fifteen minutes. The British Army was commanded by General Wolfe. Although successful in holding the British line against the French and winning the battle, General Wolfe was mortally wounded by several gunshots. More on The Death of General Wolfe

Wolfe’s death till resonated when West painted this work, its defining image. The men around Wolfe include portraits of fellow officers and representative types – enlisted soldiers, a settler in green, an Indigenous warrior. Pose, gesture and expression – ranging from stoic reserve to tears – eloquently tell the story. Unusually, West added carefully observed details of contemporary clothing and weaponry to anchor the scene in reality, and so connect to his audience. His goal was not to persuade viewers of the literal truth of his painting, but to move them to emulate Wolfe’s self-sacrifice. The canvas made the artist’s reputation. More on this painting

Benjamin West  (1738–1820)

American Commissioners of the Preliminary Peace Negotiations with Great Britain

(unfinished oil sketch), c. between 1783 and 1784

Oil on canvas

Height: 72.3 cm (28.4 in); Width: 92 cm (36.2 in)

Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, Delaware

This work, intended to be the first in a series on the American Revolution, commemorates the commission that negotiated the preliminary treaty between America and Britain, signed in Paris on November 30, 1782. West portrayed five Americans: John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and William Temple Franklin (Benjamin Franklin’s grandson). West wanted to paint the participants from life, and all but Benjamin Franklin sat for him. However, the British representative Richard Oswald and his secretary, Caleb Whitefoord, meant to be depicted on the right, never sat for the artist and tradition has it that Oswald was unwilling to do so. John Quincy Adams discussed this painting in his diary: "As I very strongly expressed my regret that this picture should be left unfinished, Mr. West said he thought he could finish it . . . I understood his intention to be to make a present of it to Congress." Instead it remained unfinished, a powerful symbol of the division between Great Britain and its former American colonies. More on this painting

Benjamin West  (1738–1820)

Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky, circa 1816

Oil on slate

Height: 340.11 mm (13.39 in); Width: 256.29 mm (10.09 in)

Philadelphia Museum of Art

This painting commemorates the 1752 experiment in Philadelphia in which Benjamin Franklin demonstrated that lightning is a form of electricity. While in London, West befriended Franklin, a fellow Pennsylvanian, but did not render this likeness of the celebrated scientist and American statesman until after his death, creating it as a study for a larger, unrealized portrait that he planned to give to Pennsylvania Hospital, an institution Franklin founded in Philadelphia. West intended to display the larger picture with another of his compositions and a self-portrait, perhaps as an homage to Americans who had achieved international acclaim in science and the arts. More on this painting

Entirely self-taught, West soon gained valuable patronage and toured Europe, eventually settling in London. He impressed King George III and was largely responsible for the launch of the Royal Academy, of which he became the second president. He was appointed historical painter to the court and Surveyor of the King's Pictures.

West also painted religious subjects, as in his huge work The Preservation of St Paul after a Shipwreck at Malta, at the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul in Greenwich, and Christ Healing the Sick, presented to the National Gallery.

Benjamin West (American, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 1738–1820 London)

Hagar and Ishmael, c. 1776, reworked 1803

Oil on canvas

76 x 54 1/2 in. (193 x 138.4 cm)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This painting illustrates the plight of Ishmael after he and his mother have been turned out of Abraham’s household West exhibited the picture at the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 1776. In 1803 he changed both the figures and the background, repainted the angel, added draperies, and submitted the painting for a second exhibition. The Royal Academy ruled that no artist could show a work twice. West, who was the academy’s president from 1792 to 1820, was outraged. The controversy continued until 1806, when West was finally allowed to exhibit the picture. More on this painting

Benjamin West (American, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 1738–1820 London)

Moses Shown the Promised Land, c. 1801

Oil on wood

19 3/4 x 28 3/4 in. (50.2 x 73 cm)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho . And the Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan.

And all Napthali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea,

And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar.

And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. [Deuteronomy 34: 1-4; King James Bible]

West was engaged for three decades in the massive decorative scheme for a Chapel of Revealed Religion that his kingly patron, George III, wished to erect at Windsor Castle. Although West completed more than thirty-five pictures, the project was eventually abandoned. The Museum’s oil sketch is probably a study for a large painting destined for the cycle, in which Moses was to play an important role. The shaft of light cutting diagonally through the Baroque composition symbolizes God’s revelation to Moses of the promised land he was to see but never enter himself. More on this painting

Benjamin West, American, 1738-1820

The Wise Men's Offering, c. 1799

Oil on canvas

27 by 22 in.; 68.5 by 56 cm.

The Wise Men's Offering

The biblical Magi, also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, also the Three Magi were distinguished foreigners in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition. They are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They are regular figures in traditional accounts of the nativity celebrations of Christmas and are an important part of Christian tradition. More on Three Wise Kings

Benjamin West, American, 1738-1820

The Last Supper, c. 1786

Oil on canvas

98 × 140 1/2 inches (248.9 cm × 3 m 56.9 cm)

Detroit Institute of Arts

The Last Supper is the final meal that, in the Gospel accounts, Jesus shared with his Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "Holy Communion" or "The Lord's Supper".

 

The four canonical Gospels all state that the Last Supper took place towards the end of the week, after Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and that Jesus and his Apostles shared a meal shortly before Jesus was crucified at the end of that week. During the meal Jesus predicts his betrayal by one of the Apostles present, and foretells that before the next morning, Peter will deny knowing him.

 

The three Synoptic Gospels and the First Epistle to the Corinthians include the account of the institution of the Eucharist in which Jesus takes bread, breaks it and gives it to the Apostles, saying: "This is my body which is given for you". The Gospel of John does not include this episode, but tells of Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles, giving the new commandment "to love one another as I have loved you", and has a detailed farewell discourse by Jesus, calling the Apostles who follow his teachings "friends and not servants", as he prepares them for his departure.

 

Scholars have looked to the Last Supper as the source of early Christian Eucharist traditions. Others see the account of the Last Supper as derived from 1st-century eucharistic practice as described by Paul in the mid-50s. More on The Last Supper

Benjamin West

Christ rejected, c. 1814

Oil on canvas

508.0 x 660.4 cm

1814

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

The monumental scale and complex composition of this painting have something in common with other forms of popular entertainments of the period—dioramas and panoramas. Such spectacular works used to travel from city to city in Europe and America, where they were displayed to receptive crowds in galleries and lecture halls. The English novelist Jane Austen was particularly impressed by West’s contribution to the genre: “I have seen West’s famous Painting, and prefer it to anything of the kind I ever saw before...[it] is the first representation of our Savior which ever at all contented me.” When the painting was featured in a special exhibition at the Museum in 1862, viewers received a three-page pamphlet explaining the scene. More on this painting

Benjamin West, English (born America), 1738 - 1820

The Resurrection, c. 1808

Oil on paper on panel

15 3/4 x 12 1/16 inches (40 x 30.6 cm)

Philadelphia Museum of Art

The resurrection of Jesus is the Christian religious belief that, after being put to death, Jesus rose again from the dead. It is the central tenet of Christian theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures"

Just before sunrise on the day after the regular weekly Sabbath three women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, come to anoint Jesus' body, wondering how they would be able to roll the large rock away from the tomb; but they found the rock already rolled aside and a young man in white inside; he told them that Jesus had risen, and that they should tell Peter and the disciples that he will meet them in Galilee, "just as he told you". More on The resurrection of Jesus

Benjamin West, American, 1738–1820

The Ascension, c. 1801 

Oil paint on canvas

height: 49 1/2 in, 125.7300 cm; width: 34 in, 86.3600 cm

Denver Art Museum

Ascension, in Christian belief, the ascent of Jesus Christ into heaven on the 40th day after his Resurrection (Easter being reckoned as the first day). The Feast of the Ascension ranks with Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost in the universality of its observance among Christians. More on the Ascension

In 1779 West was commissioned by George III to decorate the walls of the Royal Chapel at Windsor Castle with scenes from the Old and New Testament, a project that would engage him for the next twenty years. He first painted The Ascension – in which Jesus ascends into heaven following his crucifixion and burial – in about 1781–82. The picture was never installed in the chapel, and West returned to the subject two decades later, producing the Berger picture. As was his practice, he created it as a finished study of the eventual painting. Soon after West completed it, King George appointed a new architect for the Royal Chapel project and the commission was cancelled. More on this painting

Benjamin West  (1738–1820)

The Conversion of St. Paul, circa 1786

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

58 x 49 in. (147.32 x 124.46 cm)

Dallas Museum of Art

This altarpiece depicts the conversion of St. Paul, one of the fathers of the Christian church. Previously an avid persecutor of Christians, Saul—as he was originally known—was struck by temporary blindness while en route to the city of Damascus. Upon regaining his sight, he changed his name to Paul and became a Christian, going on to become one of the major authors of the New Testament.

This painting served as a model for a painted glass window in St. Paul's Church in Birmingham, England. It is the earliest and smallest of two versions of the subject by Benjamin West. He painted a later, sketchier treatment in response to the acclaim with which this altarpiece was greeted when it was exhibited in London at the Royal Academy. More on this painting

From 1746 to 1759, West worked in Pennsylvania, mostly painting portraits. While West was in Lancaster in 1756, his patron, a gunsmith named William Henry, encouraged him to paint a Death of Socrates based on an engraving in Charles Rollin's Ancient History. His resulting composition, which significantly differs from the source, has been called "the most ambitious and interesting painting produced in colonial America". Dr William Smith, then the provost of the College of Philadelphia, saw the painting in Henry's house and decided to become West's patron, offering him education and, more importantly, connections with wealthy and politically connected Pennsylvanians.

Benjamin West  (1738–1820)

Musidora and Her Two Companions, Sacharissa and Amoret, at Their Bath Espied by Damon, c. 795 Retouched 1806

Oil on canvas

Height: 52.1 cm (20.5 in); Width: 72.4 cm (28.5 in)

Private collection

The painting depicts Musidora and her two companions, Sacharissa and Amoret, at their bath espied by Damon. It illustrates a passage from James Thompson's The Seasons ("Summer") published between 1726 and 1730. 

Benjamin West (American, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 1738–1820 London)

The Damsel and Orlando, ca. 1793

Oil on canvas

36 x 28 in. (91.4 x 71.1 cm)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The dramatic interplay of glances and gestures depicts the climactic moment when Orlando, hero of the 1516 Italian epic poem, Orlando Furioso (Orlando Enraged), realizes that his love, Angelica, has married another. A shepherdess and her husband show Orlando a bracelet that Angelica gave to them as thanks for sheltering Angelica and her new husband. The astonished Orlando recognizes the bracelet as one he had given to Angelica as a token of his love. The children toying with Orlando’s discarded armor recall a Renaissance motif suggesting a warrior “disarmed” or “unmanned” by love. The frothing horse foreshadows Orlando’s eventual madness caused by the loss of Angelica. More on this painting

West was a close friend of Benjamin Franklin, whose portrait he painted. Franklin was the godfather of West's second son, Benjamin

Sponsored by Smith and William Allen, then reputed to be the wealthiest man in Philadelphia, West traveled to Italy in 1760 where he expanded his repertoire by copying works of Italian painters such as Titian and Raphael direct from the originals. In Rome he met a number of international neo-classical artists including German-born Anton Rafael Mengs, Scottish Gavin Hamilton, and Austrian Angelica Kauffman.

Benjamin West

Queen Elizabeth going in Procession to St. Paul's Cathedral after the Destruction of the Spanish Armada, c. 1792

Oil on canvas

44 x 65.5 cm. (17 1/4 x 25 3/4 in)

Private collection

The Queen and her people were jubilant. No more were they a second rate sea power, for they had conquered the fleet of the mighty Spanish Empire. A thanksgiving service was held at St. Paul's Cathedral for the delivery of the country, and a medal was struck with the words "God blew and they were scattered" inscribed on it. They believed that the storm that had besieged the Spanish ships was no ordinary storm, but the work of a Protestant God. 

In August 1763, West arrived in England, on what he initially intended as a visit on his way back to America. In fact, he never returned to America. He moved into a house in Bedford Street, Covent Garden. The first picture he painted in England, Angelica and Medora, along with a portrait of General Monckton, and his Cymon and Iphigenia, painted in Rome, were shown at the exhibition in Spring Gardens in 1764. More on this painting

In 1765 he married Elizabeth Shewell, an American to whom he became engaged in Philadelphia, at St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Benjamin West  (1738–1820)

Alexander III of Scotland Rescued from the Fury of a Stag by the Intrepidity of Colin Fitzgerald, c. 1786

Oil on canvas

Height: 3,660 mm (12 ft); Width: 5,210 mm (17.09 ft)

Scottish National Gallery

This is by far the largest painting in the collection and admirably represents West's heroic and monumental style. It illustrates a legend in which the first chieftain of the Clan Mackenzie saves the life of the Scottish King. Colin Fitzgerald is shown about to spear a fierce stag who had turned on the Scottish King, Alexander III, during a hunting expedition. West includes other huntsmen, horses and dogs whose dynamic poses and striking gestures enhance the dramatic moment. Francis Humberston Mackenzie became chieftain of the Mackenzie Clan in 1783 and commissioned the painting to commemorate, rather conspicuously, his illustrious ancestor. More on this painting

Benjamin West, American, 1738-1820

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

Oil on canvas

39 1/2 x 52 1/4 inches (100.3 x 132.7 cm)

 Detroit Institute of Arts

Philippa of Hainault was Queen of England as the wife and political adviser of King Edward III. She acted as regent in 1346, when her husband was away for the Hundred Years' War.

Philippa accompanied her husband on expeditions to Scotland and the rest of Europe in the early campaigns of the Hundred Years War, where she won acclaim for her gentle nature and compassion. In 1347, she is remembered as the kind woman who persuaded her husband to spare the lives of the Burghers of Calais, whom he had planned to execute as an example to the townspeople following his successful siege of that port. More on Philippa of Hainault

Dr Markham, then Headmaster of Westminster School, introduced West to Samuel Johnson, Edmund Burke, Thomas Newton, Bishop of Bristol, James Johnson, Bishop of Worcester, and Robert Hay Drummond, Archbishop of York. All three prelates commissioned work from him. In 1766 West proposed a scheme to decorate St Paul's Cathedral with paintings. It was rejected by the Bishop of London, but his idea of painting an altarpiece for St Stephen Walbrook was accepted. At around this time he also received acclaim for his classical subjects, such as Orestes and Pylades (See below) and The Continence of Scipio (See below).

Benjamin West (American, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 1738–1820 London)

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

Oil on canvas

70 3/8 x 80 1/2 in. (178.8 x 204.5 cm)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

"Omnia vincit Amor," (Love triumphs over everything) is a quotation from Virgil’s Eclogues. Venus, the goddess of love, is shown at the left with her attributes the doves and with her small son, Amor, armed with bow and arrows, clinging to her draperies. A young deity, presumably Hymen, god of marriage, brandishes a flaming torch with his right hand and grasps in his left cords that leash an eagle. The eagle symbolizes all the creatures living in the element Air, a hippocampus stands for those of the Water, and a lion for those on Earth. The fourth element, Fire, is implicit in the goddess herself, in the winged Amores, or little Loves, and most particularly in Hymen’s flaming torch. More on this painting

 Benjamin West

Venus At Her Birth Attired By The Three Graces

Oil on canvas

19 1/2 x 14 in

Private collection

According to Hesiod's Theogony, Aphrodite was born of the foam from the sea after Saturn (Greek Cronus) castrated his father Uranus (Ouranus) and his blood fell to the sea. This latter explanation appears to be more a popular theory due to the countless artworks depicting Venus rising from the sea in a clam.

The Birth of Venus was a theme launched by Lorenzo the Great, and it was he who had it set to verse by one of his favorite humanist poets, Angelo Poliziano. This filtered through to Botticelli and he scrupulously followed the text in order to design the artwork.

Angelo Poliziano's stanzas were based on an ode by Hesiod. In the story we see the aftermath of Venus's creation, pushed along by the Gods of the winds, on the first day of Creation, elevated this shell bearing Venus' triumphant nudity from the unknown depths of the sea. Approaching the earth over which she will assume her true role.  More The Birth of Venus

The central figure of Venus appears here to be a combination of three sculptures which West would have studied during his visit to the Tribune of the Uffizi in the early 1760's. The pose of Venus, with her hand raised above her head is primarily taken from descriptions of a painting by Appelles. In addition to the present work, another now lost autograph version of this composition is recorded. More on this painting

Benjamin West 1738–1820

Pylades and Orestes Brought as Victims before Iphigenia, c. 1766

Oil paint on canvas

1003 × 1264 mm

Tate

Orestes had been sent to Phocis during his mother Clytemnestra's affair with Aegisthus. There he was raised with Pylades, and so considered him to be his closest friend. While Orestes was away, Clytemnestra killed her husband, Orestes' father Agamemnon.

As an adult, Orestes returns to Mycenae/Argos to avenge the murder of Agamemnon. With the assistance of his friend Pylades, Orestes kills his mother Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus.

West’s narrative is taken from the third act of a play by the classical author Euripides entitled Iphigenia in Tauris. In the passage Iphigenia, a priestess of Diana, stands in judgement before the semi-naked figures of her brother Orestes (in the red drapery) and his cousin and companion, Pylades. More on Pylades and Orestes

Benjamin West (1738–1820)

The Continence of Scipio, c.1766

Oil on panel

H 100.3 x W 133.3 cm

The Fitzwilliam Museum

The Continence of Scipio, or The Clemency of Scipio, is an episode recounted by Livy of the Roman general Scipio Africanus during his campaign in Spain during the Second Punic War. He refused a generous ransom for a young female prisoner, returning her to her fiancé Allucius, who in return became a supporter of Rome. In recognition of his magnanimous treatment of a prisoner, he was taken as one of the prime examples of mercy during warfare in classical times. Interest in the story revived in the Renaissance and the episode figured widely thereafter in both the literary and visual arts, as well as opera. More on The Continence of Scipio

After Benjamin West

The Appeal to Coriolanus

Oil on canvas

40 x 50 in

Private collection

Marcius Coriolanus was a Roman general who is said to have lived in the 5th century BC. He received his toponymic cognomen "Coriolanus" because of his exceptional valor in a Roman siege of the Volscian city of Corioli. He was subsequently exiled from Rome, and led troops of Rome's enemy the Volsci to besiege the city.

His military campaign against Rome is successful and his forces are approaching the walls of the city until the appeal of the Roman women, including his patrician mother and his wife. When he orders his troops to withdraw, he is killed by them. More on Marcius Coriolanus

Benjamin West 1738–1820

Cleombrotus Ordered into Banishment by Leonidas II, King of Sparta, c. 1768

Oil paint on canvas

1384 × 1854 mm

Tate

Benjamin West showed this painting at the second exhibition of the newly formed Royal Academy. After several years in Italy, West had established himself in London as the leading painter of subjects from classical history. His example, and the Academy’s teaching, encouraged numerous young British artists to study in Italy.

His subject is an incident from ancient Greek history. Leonidas, king of Sparta, was usurped by his son-in-law, Cleombrutus. When Leonidas returns looking for revenge, his daughter pleads for her husband’s life. Leonidas is moved by her tears, and commutes Cleombrutus’s death sentence to banishment. More on this painting

Benjamin West was known in England as the "American Raphael". His Raphaelesque painting of Archangel Michael Binding the Devil is in the collection of Trinity College, Cambridge (See below). He said that "Art is the representation of human beauty, ideally perfect in design, graceful and noble in attitude.

Benjamin West (1738–1820)

Archangel Michael Binding the Devil, c. 1777

Oil on canvas

H 453.5 x W 210.5 cm

Trinity College, University of Cambridge

In the New Testament Book of Revelation, Michael leads his angels against the dragon (" the Devil and Satan") and his angels during the war in heaven[9] where he defeats the dragon. In the Epistle of Jude, Michael is specifically referred to as "the archangel Michael". More on the archangel Michael

Drummond tried to raise subscriptions to fund an annuity for West, so that he could give up portraiture and devote himself entirely to more ambitious compositions. Having failed in this, he tried—with greater success—to convince King George III to patronise West. West was soon on good terms with the king, and the two men conducted long discussions on the state of art in England, including the idea of the establishment of a Royal Academy. The academy came into being in 1768, with West one of the primary leaders of an opposition group formed out of the existing Society of Artists of Great Britain; Joshua Reynolds was its first president. In the same year, he was elected to membership in the American Philosophical Society.

Benjamin West (1738–1820)

Edward III Crossing The Somme Signed and dated 1788

Oil on canvas

140.0 x 153.1 cm

Royal Collection, Windsor

The Battle of Blanchetaque was fought on 24 August 1346 between an English army under King Edward III and a French force commanded by Godemar du Fay, which took place during the early stages of the Hundred Years' War.

The French king, Philip VI, had garrisoned all of the bridges and fords over the River Somme. The area had previously been stripped of food stocks by the French, and the English were essentially trapped.

Hearing of a ford at Blanchetaque, 10 miles (16 km) from the sea, Edward marched for it and encountered the blocking force under du Fay. Once the ebbing tide had lowered the water level, a force of English longbowmen marched partway across the ford and, standing in the water, engaged a force of mercenary crossbowmen, whose shooting they were able to suppress. A French cavalry force attempted to push back the longbowmen but were in turn attacked by English men-at-arms. After a mêlée in the river, the French were pushed back, more English troops were fed into the fight, and the French broke and fled. French casualties were reported as over half of their force, while English losses were light. Two days after Blanchetaque, the main French army under Philip was defeated at the Battle of Crécy with heavy loss of life. More on The Battle of Blanchetaque

According to West's earliest biographer, John Galt, it was George III who, 'recollecting that Windsor Castle had, in its present form, been created by Edward the Third, said, that he thought the achievements of his splendid reign were well calculated for pictures, and would prove very suitable ornaments to the halls and chambers of that venerable edifice.' In addition to his military prowess, Edward III had also been the founder of the Order of the Garter that is so closely associated with Windsor Castle. More on this painting

Benjamin West (1738–1820)

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

Oil on canvas

289.8 x 449.7 cm

The Royal Collection Trust

Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince, was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, succeeded to the throne instead. Edward nevertheless earned distinction as one of the most successful English commanders during the Hundred Years' War, being regarded by his English contemporaries as a model of chivalry and one of the greatest knights of his age.

When he entered London in triumph on 24 May, King John II, his prisoner, rode a fine white charger, while he was mounted on a little black hackney. Judged by modern ideas the prince's show of humility appears affected, and the Florentine chronicler remarks that the honour done to King John II must have increased the misery of the captive and magnified the glory of King Edward. More on The Black Prince

In 1772, King George appointed him historical painter to the court at an annual fee of £1,000. He painted a series of eight large canvases showing episodes from the life of Edward III for St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, and proposed a cycle of 36 works on the theme of "the progress of revealed religion" for a chapel at the castle, of which 28 were eventually executed (See above). He also painted nine portraits of members of the royal family, including two of the king himself. He was Surveyor of the King's Pictures from 1791 until his death.

Benjamin West 1738–1820

The Golden Age, c. 1776

Oil paint on canvas

54 × 765 mm

891 × 1022 × 100 mm

Tate

Although the young mother seems to be modelled on the artist's wife, this is not a West family portrait, but an allegorical scene. The Golden Age of the title, given in an engraving of the picture published in 1778, is the state of Infancy. The peacefully sleeping child knows nothing of the worries and poverty of its mother, indicated by the ragged hem of her dress and bare feet, or of the hard labour of the father, seen in the distance ploughing with a team of oxen. Neither is it aware of the cares and feebleness of old age, represented by the grandparents trying to catch the warmth of the sun in the doorway. More on this painting

West is also well known for his huge work in the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul which now forms part of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London. His work, The Preservation of St Paul after a Shipwreck at Malta, measures 25 ft by 14 ft and illustrates the Acts of the Apostles: 27 & 28. West also provided the designs for the other paintings executed by Biaggio Rebecca in the chapel.

Benjamin West, American, active Great Britain, 1738–1820

Agrippina Landing at Brundisium with the Ashes of Germanicus, c. 1768

Oil on canvas

64 1/2 × 94 1/2 in. (163.8 × 240 cm)

The Yale University Art Gallery

West here depicts a dramatic episode from Roman history. Agrippina, widow of the assassinated and much-admired general Germanicus, is seen arriving with the ashes of her slain husband. Crowds of mourning citizens greet her as she starts on her way to confront the Emperor Tiberius, widely believed to have arranged for Germanicus’s murder. To further his reference to antiquity, West modeled the central group on the Ara Pacis, the recently excavated Roman sacrificial altar, and painted the figures in cool whites, as if they too were carved in marble. Contemporary viewers would have recognized this classical allusion. More on this painting

Following a loss of royal patronage at the beginning of the 19th century, West began a series of large-scale religious works. The first, Christ Healing the Sick was originally intended as a gift to Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia; instead he sold it to the British Institution for £3,000, which in turn presented it to the National Gallery. West then made a copy to send to Philadelphia. The success of the picture led him to paint a series of even larger works, including his Death on the Pale Horse, exhibited in 1817.

West died at his house in Newman Street, London, on March 11, 1820, and was buried in St Paul's Cathedral. He had been offered a knighthood by the British Crown, but declined it, believing that he should instead be made a peer. More on Benjamin West

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