Existing comment:
Benjamin West
(1738-1820)
American
Ascension of Christ (Study)
1798
Oil on canvas
Museum purchase, 1952, A678
West, born in Pennsylvania, proved to be so talented in his youth that patrons sent him to Rome, Paris, and London to study. Without returning home, he settled in London, where his ambition to be a history painter could be satisfied. A generous teacher, he became a mentor to American artists who traveled abroad for study, including Charles Willson Peale(1741-1827) and his son Rembrandt Peale (1778-1860). His talent for large historical works earned West the respect of British artists, who elected him president of the Royal Academy of Arts of London. Astonishingly, given his American birth, he became court painter to King George III, who commissioned West to decorate the chapel at Windsor Castle. Ascension of Christ was a study for this project, which unfortunately was not carried out. However, West did paint other works for which the study was apparently a first step. This work shows West's capacity for fluid drawing and capture of implied movement. As Christ ascends into the heavens in the upper left, accompanied by angels, his stunned followers watch him with amazement. |