“My mother’s kiss made me a painter.” Benjamin West
Benjamin West (1738 – 1820) lived during an era of great change – in the time of the American War of Independence and the Seven Year’s War. Born in Pennsylvania, the tenth child of an innkeeper and his wife, Benjamin was destined to become known as the “American Raphael,” following in the footsteps of Sir Joshua Reynolds as the second, and longest-serving president of the Royal Academy in London.
Benjamin painted this father-son portrait in 1773, when his first son, Raphael, was six or seven years old. It was a painting that he kept until the end of his life.
There is a joyful connection in the familiar scene of a son watching his father paint, a confirmation that family was a priority. Perhaps Benjamin was thinking back to his own childhood, when he painted his first portrait of his sister, Sally. When his mother discovered the painting she kissed him and said: “Why it’s Sally.” He was later quoted as saying. “My mother’s kiss made me a painter.”
ChasingART 
Thank you for sharing this happy post. I love the painting you have included! What a masterpiece! It brings such a great feeling of the love that exists between father and his children. I find it interesting that painters can bring feelings of joy and love in the colors and facial expressions of their subjects.
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Very well said: “painters can bring feelings of joy and love.” I wondered about the name of his son, “Raphael.” In 1760, Benjamin travelled to Italy (aka The Italian Grand Tour) and was able to expand his repertoire by copying works of Italian painters such as Titian and Raphael. I have a feeling that Raphael came form Benjamin’s appreciation of Raphael’s work. And here is another study that I’m interested in pursuing. In our reality, we are concerned about plagiarism, stealing ideas. But in the past, the idea of copying etc seemed to be more of a collaboration, a way to explore new ideas and reflect upon techniques from the past. I continue to learn…
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Vielen herzlichen Dank für dieses schöne Portrait!
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Ein faszinierender Künstler. Benjamin West hatte wenig Bildung und verfügte nicht über persönliche finanzielle Mittel. Selbst als er Präsident der Akademie wurde, hatte er Probleme mit seiner Rechtschreibung. Aber die Leute erkannten sein Genie und unterstützten seine Bemühungen finanziell, sogar König George III.
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Thank you for introducing me to someone new Rebecca!
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So glad you stopped by! I have seen this painting before, but never knew the story behind it. What is amazing – Benjamin West had limited schooling. Even as the president of a prestigious institution, he had trouble with his spelling. Genius is genius…
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Welcome back to posting on your blog! I think we all missed your thoughtful contributions!
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Thank you so much for your heartwarming comments. Very, very much appreciated. So glad that we are connected across the “blogger miles.”
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