Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-12-12
BENJAMIN West.

IS West was OF Quaker. lineage. Such
was the rudeac condition of the arts in
the neighborhood at that time that his
first. initiation into art was as simple as
that Of Giotto. At9 years Of age he.
drew hairs from cats tail, and made
himself . brush. Colors he obtained
by grinding charcoal and chalk, and
crushing the red blood out from the
blackberry His mothers laundry fur
niahed him with indigo, and the friend
" Indians who came to his fathers
house gave him of the red and yellow
earths with which they daubed their
faces: With such rude materials the
lad painted a child sleeping in its
cradle, and in that first effort of pre-
cooious genius executed certain touches
which he never surpassed, as he at
tirmed long after, when at the zenith OF
his remarkable career. ..'. T.,
How, from such primitive efforts, the
Quaker youth gradually worked into
fame, went to, Italy and acquired posi-
ton there, and then settled in England,
became the favored protege Of the
King for, forty years, and the
President of the National Acad-
envy of Great Britain-these are
all matters Of history, and, as West
never forgot his love for his native
land, entitle him to the respectful re-
membrance. not only Of artists; but of
all his countrymen: American art has
every reason, also, to cherish his ME m
ory with profound gratitude, for no
painter ever conducted himself with
greater kindness and generosity to the
rising, struggling artists Of his native
land. No sooner did our early paint
ers reach London than they resorted
for aid or guidance to West; and found
in him a friend who lent them his
powerful influence without grudging,
or allowed them to set up their easels
in his studio, and gave them all the in
struction in his power. Trumbull,
Stuart, Dunlap, and many others, long
after they had forgotten the natural
foibles of West, had reason to remem-
Der how great had been the services ho
had rendered to the aspiring artists Of
his transatlantic home. -
" Benjamin West appears to have been
born with great natural powers,
which matured rapidly, and early ceased
to develop in excellence proportioned
to his extraordinary industry and fdel-
ity to his art.
But, while q general evenness of
quality rather than striking excellence
in any particular works was the charac-
teristic of the art of Wes;, together
with o certain brick-red tone in his
colors, not always agreeable, yet share
of genius must be granted to the artist
who painted @The Departure of Regu-
lus," "Death on the Pale Horse" and
"The Death of Wolfe" It unquestion:
ably implied daring and consciousness
of power to, brave the opposition OF
contemporary opinion and abandon
classic costume in historical compost
tions. In this innovation he won to his
side the Judgment of Sir Joshua
Reynolds and effected q revolution in
certain phases of art: Notwithstanding
this, however, West was emphatically
a man of his time, nodded by it rather
than forming it, and inclined to con.
ventionalism; when he entered the
arena, art was in depressed condition
both in Italy, where he studied, and in
England. When Reynolds and Gains
borough .gave a fresh impulse to art
Vests genius had already matured, and
was incapable of making further prog
ress.-S. G. ". Benjamin, IN Harpe1's
| MAGAZINE.