Others models

Benjamin West and Italian painting

I think that I have found others models because very much near some figures to Roman sculpture, that West has studied very well and he has reinterpreted to his painting as Death on the Pale Horse(Fig.1) for composition whose he has resumed some Roman models during his residence in papal city; in fact he has resumed the horse on down of Fountain of the four rivers of Bernini and his collaboratores(Fig.2), for reclining figure on first plane with reise arm is figure of same fountain that has same gesture(Fig.3); for figure form behind West has reinterpreted a figure of Federico Zuccari(Fig.4), with other posture but same drammatic spirit; then West has found the horse on right of painting The expulsion of Heliodorus from temple(Fig.5). For this painting West has took his Roman memories and very masterfully he has reused and has translated in British some Roman conceptions. But I must add that he has adopted from Rome, same dramaticity that we can see to Baroque painting, and of painting from manner; then he takes all necessary to this painting and very masterfully he has mixted different styles.

Alessandro Lusana

Fig.1

Fig.2

Fig.3

Fig.4

Fig.5