Benjamin West, was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as The Death of Nelson, The Death of General Wolfe, the Treaty of Paris, and Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky.
Self-portrait of Benjamin West, c. 1763
Benjamin West
Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky, c. 1816, now housed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Portrait of West from 1770, now housed in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
The Death of General Wolfe
The Death of General Wolfe is a 1770 painting by Anglo-American artist Benjamin West, commemorating the 1759 Battle of Quebec, where General James Wolfe died at the moment of victory. The painting, containing vivid suggestions of martyrdom, broke a standard rule of historical portraiture by featuring individuals who had not been present at the scene and dressed in modern, instead of classical, costumes. The painting has become one of the best-known images in 18th-century art.
The Death of General Wolfe
William Woollett's engraving was the best-known copy of West's original and became popular around the world