Benjamin West was a renowned 18th century British painter born in Pennsylvania. He was a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts and two of his most influential historical paintings depicted important moments from General Wolfe's life and William Penn's treaty with Native Americans. William Hodges was a British painter known for his landscapes, including depictions of Tahiti. Joseph Mallord William Turner was a pioneering English landscape painter influenced by picturesque styles. His works referenced both ancient Roman history and abolitionism. James Abbott McNeill Whistler promoted "art for art's sake" through stylized paintings like arrangements of color and form. John Frederick Lewis provided detailed glimpses of 19th century Cairo through highly realistic watercolors. Yinka Sh

1. Art – Section IVNitika Malik

2. Benjamin WestBorn in Springfield, Pennsylvania, but spent most of his adult life in EnglandRenaissance masters who inspired him the most, including Raphael, Michelangelo, and TitianFounding member of the Royal Academy Arts, created by King George III in 1768One of West’s most influential paintings was a large historical scene, The Death of General Wolfe (1770)Illustrated the final moments in the life General James Wolfe, who died in 1759 during the Battle of Quebec

3. Continued…Next major historical, William Penn’s Treaty with the Indians (1771-1772)The focus of his painting is on the exchange of gifts for landThe infamous “ Walking Purchase” of 1737 indicative a new relationship with the Native American people under the leadership of Thomas Penn (son of William Penn)Walking Purchase became more controversial in the late 1750’s Native American groups led raids on settlements in PA, siding with the French in the French & Indian War (1756-1763)They claim that continued resentment resulting from the Walking Purchase motivated them to turn against the British settlers in PA.

4. William HodgesBorn in LondonFirst independent work involved painting, landscapes scenery for theatrical productions in LondonIn 1786 Hodges became an associate member of the Royal Academy, he was made a full member in 1787 and he exhibited there until 1794Two of his allegorical landscapes, The Effects of War and The Consequences of PeaceInappropriate and dangerous in the context of Britain's Military engagement with FranceHMS Resolution and Adventure with Fishing Craft in Matavi Bay is a large landscape painting depicting a protected Bay along Tahiti’s Northern coastline

5. Joseph Mallord William TurnerBorn in LondonHis painting Dido Building Carthage (National Gallery, London, 1815) depicts ancient Roman history through a monumental, picturesque landscapeSnow Storm—Hannibal Crossing the Alps (Turner Collection, London, 1812) refers to the storm of 218 B.C.E that caught the ancient Roman military leader and his troops in the moun­tains.Slave ship - based on an event recounted in Thomas Clarkson’s The History of the Abolition of the Slave Trade (1808)

6. Continued…Clarkson was one of the few non- Quaker members of the organizing committeeBritain abolished slavery throughout the empire in 1833British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society was formed in 1839Zong Affair involved a captain who ordered more than one hundred slaves to be thrown overboard in order to collect an insurance payment

7. James Abbott McNeill WhistlerBorn in Massachusetts in 1834, but he spent most of his life abroadWhistler promoted the idea of “art for art’s sake”Primary goal of the artist was to create beautyBest works: Symphony in White, No.1: The White Girl (National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1862)Arrangement in Grey and Black: The Artist’s Mother (Musée d’Orsay, Paris, 1871)Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket (Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, 1874) Purple and Rose: The Lange Leizen of the Six Marks is a small painting focusing on a female figure sur­rounded by beautiful Chinese objects

8. John Frederick LewisBorn in London in 1805Provided glimpses of a distant land through his highly detailed paintingsLewis’s life in Cairo was documented by novelist William Makepeace Thackery in his Notes of a Journey from Cornhill to Grand Cairo (1846)Lewis made over six hundred watercolor paintings and drawings during the decade he lived in CairoA Lady Receiving Visitors (The Reception) is a highly detailed view of a complex interior space with a high ceilingFocus is on the main chamber of the room, where the lady of the house is seatedPainted and exhibited The Reception in 1873

9. Yinka ShonibareBorn in London to Nigerian parentsWhen he was 19, he suffered from paralysis caused by transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord Series of five photographs entitled The Sleep of Reason Produces Nightmares references a famous print from the late eighteenth century by the Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco Goya (1746–1828)