Benjamin West

Benjamin West PRA (1738 – 1820) was an Anglo-American painter of historical scenes around and after the time of the American War of Independence and the Seven Years' War. He was the second president of the Royal Academy in London, serving from 1792 to 1805 and 1806 to 1820. Dance was an architect, draughtsman and founder member of the Royal Academy. This portrait comes from a series of chalk portraits that he did of his friends, 72 of which were engraved and published (1808-1814) by Daniell who was an engraver as well as a renown landscape painter. Accompanied by original descriptive text.