After some time, the child happened to smile in its sleep, and its beauty attracted the boy's attention. He looked at it with a pleasure, which he never before experienced; and observing some paper on a table, together with pens, and red and black ink, he seized them with agitation4, and endeavored to delineate a portrait, although at this period, he was only in the seventh year of his age.
Hearing the approach of his mother and sister, he endeavored to conceal5 what he had been doing; but the old lady observing his confusion, inquired what he was about, and requested him to show her the paper. He obeyed, entreating6 her not to be angry. Mrs. West, after looking at the drawing with evident pleasure, said to her daughter, "I declare, he has made a likeness7 of little Sally;" she kissed him with much fondness and satisfaction. This encouraged him to say that if it would give her any pleasure, he would make pictures of the flowers which she held in her hand; for the instinct of his genius was now awakened8, and he felt that he could imitate the forms of those things which pleased his sight.
Some time after this, Benjamin having heard that pencils for painting were made in Europe of camel's hair, determined9 to manufacture a substitute, for his own use: accordingly, seizing upon a black cat, kept in the family, he extracted the requisite10 hairs from her tail for his first brush, and afterwards pillaged11 it again for others.
Such was the commencement of a series of efforts which raised West to be a favorite painter in England, and, at last, president of the Royal Academy of London. His parents were Quakers, but they encouraged his efforts. He, however, had no advantages, and for some time he was obliged to pursue his labors12 with such pencils as he made himself, and with red and yellow colors, which he learned to prepare from some Indians who roamed about the town of Springfield: to these, his mother added a little indigo13.
He had a cousin by the name of Pennington, who[Pg 90] was a merchant, and having seen some of his sketches14, sent him a box of paints and pencils, with canvass15 prepared, and six engravings. The possession of this treasure almost prevented West's sleeping. He now went into a garret as soon as it was light, and began his work. He was so wrapt up in his task, as to stay from school. This he continued till his master called to inquire what had become of him. A search was consequently made, and he was found at his easel, in the garret. His mother's anger soon subsided17, when she saw his picture, now nearly finished. He had not servilely copied one of the engravings, as might have been expected, but had formed a new picture by combining the parts of several of them. His mother kissed the boy with rapture18, and procured19 the pardon of his father and teacher. Mr. Galt, who wrote West's life, says, that, sixty-seven years after, he had the pleasure of seeing this very piece, hanging by the side of the sublime20 picture of Christ Rejected.
Young West's fame was soon spread abroad, and he was shortly crowded with applications for portraits, of which he painted a considerable number. He was now of an age to require a decision of his parents in respect to the profession he was to follow, in life. They deliberated long and anxiously upon this subject, and at last concluded to refer the matter to the society of Quakers to which they belonged. These decided21, that, although they did not acknowledge the utility of painting to mankind, yet they would allow the youth to follow a path for which he had so evident a genius.
At the age of eighteen, he established himself in[Pg 91] Philadelphia, as a portrait painter, and afterwards spent some time at New York, in the same capacity. In both places, his success was considerable. In 1760, aided by friends, he proceeded to Italy, to study his art; in 1763, he went to London, where he soon became established for life. The king, George III., was his steadfast22 friend, and he became painter to his majesty23. He was offered a salary of seven hundred pounds a year, by the Marquis of Rockingham, to embellish24 his mansion25 at Yorkshire with historical paintings, but this he declined.
On the death of Sir Joshua Reynolds, he was elected president of the Royal Academy, and took his place in March, 1792. In his sixty-fifth year, he painted his great picture of Christ healing the sick, to aid the Quakers of Philadelphia in the erection of a hospital for that city. It was so much admired that he was offered no less than fifteen thousand dollars for this performance. He accepted the offer, as he was not rich, upon condition that he should be allowed to make a copy for the Friends of Philadelphia, for whom he had intended it. This great picture, of which we give an engraving16, was long exhibited at Philadelphia, and the profits essentially26 aided the benevolent27 object which suggested the picture.
West continued to pursue his profession, and painted several pictures of great size, under the idea that his talent was best suited to such performances. In 1817, his wife, with whom he had long lived in uninterrupted happiness, died, and he followed her in 1820. If his standing28, as an artist, is not of the[Pg 92] highest rank, it is still respectable, and his history affords a striking instance of a natural fitness and predilection29 for a particular pursuit. If we consider the total want of encouragement to painting, in a Quaker family, in a country town in Pennsylvania, more than a century ago, and advert30 to the spontaneous display of his taste and its persevering31 cultivation32, we shall see that nature seems to have given him an irresistible33 impulse in the direction of the art to which he devoted34 his life.
West was tall, firmly built, and of a fair complexion35. He always preserved something of the sedate36, even and sober manners of the sect37 to which his parents belonged; in disposition38, he was mild, liberal and generous. He seriously impaired39 his fortune by the aid he rendered to indigent40 young artists. His works were very numerous, and the exhibition and sale of those in his hands, at the time of his death, yielded a handsome sum to his family. Though his early education was neglected, he supplied the defect by study and observation, and his writings connected with the arts are very creditable to him as a man, a philosopher and an artist.
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1
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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2
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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3
molesting
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| v.骚扰( molest的现在分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵 | |
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4
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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entreating
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的现在分词 ) | |
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7
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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8
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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9
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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10
requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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11
pillaged
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| v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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13
indigo
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| n.靛青，靛蓝 | |
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14
sketches
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| n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概 | |
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15
canvass
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| v.招徕顾客，兜售；游说；详细检查，讨论 | |
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16
engraving
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| n.版画；雕刻（作品）；雕刻艺术；镌版术v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的现在分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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17
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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18
rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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19
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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20
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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21
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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steadfast
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| adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的 | |
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23
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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embellish
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| v.装饰，布置；给…添加细节，润饰 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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predilection
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| n.偏好 | |
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advert
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| vi.注意，留意，言及；n.广告 | |
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persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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32
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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34
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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sedate
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| adj.沉着的，镇静的，安静的 | |
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sect
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| n.派别，宗教，学派，派系 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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39
impaired
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| adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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indigent
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| adj.贫穷的，贫困的 | |
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