The Arkansas banner., 1847-02-03
West's first Paintinrg

There Is eow ia'ghia rity d, ohlert a@ nm iitie snteFcst to hntls aszsestFs sn,F sshs.ssisk ssars of painting: being ID ethef tlsaa ,ks Nrsi resatHr pa1HtsWx offeM5eeA Sv sae Inc eetsAFafrd Begfamia WeN. lt hns feen .lea pasiied for tho purpose of being splendallv framed. al kobssness. Clsusmtss stfept he,ass Third, whence Il will gS,, vss she next vnvwee ot the paeke. ship Myemiag. sn sAe Ravsl s Academy el EuRiaasl, over winch she sreSs 1, American artist presided with such ,lissia. gnished credit n his liIe.
 The Piesureis landscape and river aeene, wssn castles, ships nsills. fishermen. cassls, o'Fs's. &c.--a kiah of nsalsy aiIair, sn,11n ef { Us details eviaeia7 the greatness 4 As= aawnlng genius. ah5 all.Nrs---,he psrwpee. ase, ior ins,ance--his aiier want oS nFactiee or experience. We have tIsouefa .kns oar readers, iike csFselG womb Ike to kuaw somcsh.ng ot the eircamsIanees eauaau,eA | w''h young WesI's adoption of peosnssion 'n which he rnse tn such haanrs, and of tha production of this particular work. TAFas have scaeheSs as iH so direct a maHnef. asxl 2 with such proof of authenticity, sisst we ran. not Tor moment question their truth. bcnamin West was born tn l73S, When lad, hc visited Lancaster. While ssfnllinr 1 abont the streets, he was in inc hahit ssI 2 dFawtny characters upon the fences, eide places, &e,. with elsarred coal. ehalk. &e. Rude as these sketches are repfesrnied U have been. they wesc SO truthful h.as they were the subject of general rv,nark. and. among others, Hon. William Henry. ysse ul the most wealthy and influential risinems Of f.ancasser iii h's day, spr,k especiai aesies ef tnem. U was not, however, uatil yNsana West had completely trAnsRgured the old mans yard, fence, with designs of horses, shiPs, COWS, dogs, Sc, tha, he was partie- a'arsy aluaeaed to their author lie thought
 he could trace the hand cf genius ia the rude sketches, and immediately orslerrd hts housr-
 hold ,o watch for the artist, and bring hia
 before him. This was done, sud Henry gave him every encouragement. and hade him remain with hun at his house. and sx. ercise his talents with the regular instruments oi the PaIa.er's art Accordingly, pencils, canvass, &e., were provided-- West, ut the same time, making supply of those painss 1 peculiar ,o him, the manufacture of which he had learned, al the age of eleven years. from tribe of Indians adjacent to his ksherss residence. near Chadsfotd, in .he county of Delaware. aud these peculiar ealors, in tho picture above spoken of. furnish jsslres with one of the strongest means or identifying it with the hand of Benjamin West---for he was never known to paint with other colors. They are famed for retaining their softncss and freshness a old age, and aru usasia simply ol certain vegetable substances.
 1 Alter having exercised with his new ma- 1 terials shprl time, West undefsnok and executed the painting above alluded .o--hia age between fourteen and fiteea years.-.. Pleased with the success of>the young artist, hr. Henry next gave ham, as a subject. Socrates taking Poison. This was his sec oud rcgaiar effort in the art.
 His first effort never could be Ind from the ianIily of the late IIou. w Henry. has. | tug heea ielt 10 his youngest son, ReniaHin West Henry-( named thus ia cumglimentfo fo the artistl--thoagh the others were disposed \ ef aaaay years ago al fair price. eaassA 1 West was upon intimate friendly feIanons with the Henry family. and while ia the zenith oI his glory n Earope--where he was I dearly cherished by George fie Third, ,as his
 most intimate friend and ompanion--whsle inodesiiv tieeitiiHg the honors af royaIly.--- and while enjoying wealth ia Iie highest sis~ l gree, he had freqaenlly requested the son af his late benelactor, B. West lienry, to como to him in England, and be under the prolec- ton ol fa.ssss, whose kindness had fallen to hun npen the decea-e of his carly ftieud. N The picture is still tn the Henry family. Thsy intend sending fl to Eurnpe, not wisk the esPecta ion of receiving reward, bas be- cause they think 1t rightfuiiy belongs 10 Eng land, whose Byron, prejudiced to the cora, while drawing him as "daub," still daelaf- ed hisn s.peor Eagla,id's best" As q work of dyf,---as whnle,---of course DO merit can be clained for this prodaction, for the-very simple reason that West knew aothing whatever of it N Bai as indicative of genias--yoaibiul. Heaveu-horn--his ad- mirers may proudly point ieS this picture, if evidences were needed, for the disssus g6sains of the most glowing sRd sublime character.--Saf1day Courier.
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