Portrait of Benjamin West
1818
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1818
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see an older man with white hair, dressed in a dark coat, looking straight at you. This painting might be a quick version of a larger portrait. The artist used looser brushstrokes here, maybe because the sitter couldn’t stand for long. It’s like a sketch with color—fast, but still full of life. Look up other portraits by Thomas Lawrence (British, 1769–1830) to see how he painted people with energy and warmth.
