Death of Iphigenia (?)

possibly c. 1758/1759 · Drawing

Si può vedere?

Non esposta al momento

Dove si trova «Death of Iphigenia (?)» oggi? Collezione: National Gallery of Art, Washington. Non esposta al momento. Verificato 29 settembre 2026.

National Gallery of Art

Washington, Stati Uniti

Appartiene alla collezione, ma al momento non è esposta.

Verificato: 13 giorni fa
Ultimo cambio di stato: 19 ago 2026
Fonte: Il museo

Sulla mappa Pagina del museo

Scheda

Numero di inventario: 1979.20.128

Che cosa raffigura

Iphigenia

In catalogo

Disegni e acquerelli Penna Rococò XVIII secolo American

Fonti

National Gallery of Art
Immagine: National Gallery of Art — Museum open access

Nella vita di Benjamin West

Tutta la vita

1746–1759
Self-taught portraitist in Pennsylvania
A self-taught painter, West works in Pennsylvania from 1746 to 1759, mostly painting portraits; the artisan painter William Williams gives him further training. The decisive moment, by his own account, was a childhood portrait of his little sister Sally: his mother recognised her and kissed him — “My mother's kiss made me a painter”.
1756
Patron: provost William Smith
After seeing the painting in Henry's house (other accounts say in West's own), the Anglican clergyman William Smith, provost of the College of Philadelphia, decides to become West's patron: he offers him an education and, more importantly, connections with wealthy and politically connected Pennsylvanians.
1756
Death of his mother, Sarah Pearson
West's mother, Sarah Pearson (1697–1756), dies; Benjamin was the tenth of her children.
1756
In Philadelphia: meets John Wollaston
Having gone to Philadelphia to study painting, West meets John Wollaston, a painter who had immigrated from London: he learns his technique for the shimmer of silk and satin and adopts some of his mannerisms, notably the large almond-shaped eyes that clients found very chic.
1760–1763
In Rome: Mengs, Hamilton and Kauffman
In Rome West meets a number of international neo-classical artists: the German-born Anton Raphael Mengs, the Scot Gavin Hamilton and the Austrian Angelica Kauffman.
1760–1763
Grand Tour of Italy, sponsored by Smith and Allen
Sponsored by William Smith and William Allen, then reputed to be the wealthiest man in Philadelphia, West travels to Italy — in 1760 in the company of the Scottish painter William Patoun, later an art collector. He visits many Italian cities and expands his repertoire by copying works of Titian and Raphael directly from the originals.