The more Roman than American
I must according to a blessed author of a monography
about Benjamin West(1738-1820), because he has valued the influence, certainly
alone one hint, but a hint very important because he has valued some Italian painters,
although he has excluded the sculpture, but important is that he has ascertained
that: “The extant paintings from West’s Italian period show the avid if uneven
appropriation of the wealth of influences surrounding him at this time. Mengs neoclassicism,
the physical types and chiaroscuro of Correggio and Barocci, and Tiepolo’s
compositions. The works of Raphael, Guido Reni, and Domenichino were also
absorbed and became a more pervasive and lifelong influence on his style and
understanding of historical painting.”( BENJAMIN
WEST The Context Of His Life’s Work With Particular Attention to Paintings with
Religious Subject Matter By John Dillenberger, p.18); I think that important of
this citation various models that Dillenberg has counted, because he was right,
to plural models, that are deeply influenced and that he has bought to London;
Raphael to Athens school(Fig.1a), to person or portrait of Leonardo da Vinci
has influenced the posture of Christ in the Christ blessing the child(Fig.1)
and other version of this subject(Fig.2) he has took the posture from Saint Gerome
of Caravaggio(Fig.2a), in Galleria Borghese, that he certainly has seen during
his permanence in Rome, the posture is different certainly, but I think that he
has seen and studied this painting, and he has modified this posture to his subject.
The Tobias curing his father blessing(Fig.3) to old father West took the fluent
beard from prophet Jeremy in Sistine chapel, and from same figure he has took
also the cloth, with influence of Vincenzo Camuccini(1771-1844) and Felice Giani(1758-1823),
and to The raising of Lazarus(Fig.4), he to figure on ground took and has just
found the position to other figure(see Benjamin West: an American in Rome in
Liceusblog ) and the Fourth rivers in Rome is very important to West because he
has interpreted postures of the rivers(Figs.4a-4b) and has synthetized in this
figure; to Hercules between virtues and vices(Fig.5), the posture of Hercules is
directly from Hercules Farnese(Fig.6), and finally to Return of prodigal son,
the posture of father is specular to Saint Longinus in Vatican of Gian Lorenzo Bernini(1598-1680). I have found alone others models to West, but most merit is of the Benjamin West, that now is major American painter, and Europe has likewise to given valid models to paint, but major honor is to himself because he has had intelligence to take it.
Alessandro Lusana
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