The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq. / Composed from Materials Furnished by Himself

by John Galt

Appendix No. I.

The Account: of Pictures painted by Benjamin West for His Majesty, by his Gracious Commands, from 1768 to 1780. A True Copy from Mr. West's Account Books, with their several Charges and Dates.

When painted. SUBJECTS. £. s.
1769. 1. Regulus, his Departure from Rome 420 0
2. Hamilcar swearing his Son
Hannibal at the Altar 420 0
1771 3. Bayard at the moment of his death
receiving the Constable Bourbon 315 0
4. The Death of Epaminondas 315 0
5. The Death of General Wolfe 315 0
1772. 6. Cyrus receiving the King of
Armenia and family prisoners 157 10
7. Germanicus receiving Sagastis
and his Daughter prisoners 157 10
8. The portrait of Her Majesty,
the Kit-cat size.
9. The portrait of His Majesty,
the same size, (companion,) 84 0
10. Six of the Royal Children in one
picture, size of life 315 0
11. Her Majesty and Princess Royal,
in one picture 157 0
12. His R. H. the Prince of Wales
and Prince Frederic (Duke of
York), in one picture whole
length 210 0
13. A second picture of Ditto, for
the Empress of Russia, sent by
His Majesty 210 0
14. A whole-length portrait of His
Majesty,--Lord Amherst and
the Marquis of Lothian in the
back-ground. 262 10
15. A whole-length portrait of Her
Majesty, with all the Royal
Children in the back-ground 262 10
16. Whole-length portraits of Prince
William (Duke of Clarence) and
Prince Edward (Duke of Kent),
in one picture 262 10
1779. 17. Whole-length portraits of Prince
Adolphus and his sisters, in one
picture 262 10

From the year 1769 the whole of the above pictures to 1779 were painted and paid for by His Majesty through the hands of Mr. R. Daulton and Mr. G. Mathias.

1780. At this period His Majesty was graciously pleased to sanction my pencil with his commands for a great work on Revealed Religion, from its commencement to its completion, for pictures to embellish his intended New Chapel in Windsor Castle. I arranged the several subjects from the four Dispensations. His Majesty was pleased to approve the arrangement selected, as did several of the Bishops in whose hands he placed them for their consideration, and they highly approved the same.

His Majesty then honoured me with his commands, and did at that time, the better to enable me to carry it into effect, order his deputy privy-purse, Mr. G. Mathias, to pay me one thousand a year by quarterly payments, which was regularly paid as commanded; and the following are the subjects which I have painted from the Four Dispensations, for the Chapel, of various dimensions.

Antideluvian Dispensation.

When painted. SUBJECTS. £. s.
1780. 1. The expulsion of Adam and Eve
from Paradise 535 0
2. The Deluge 525 0
3. Noah and his Family sacrificing 525 0

Patriarchal Dispensation.

4. The Call of Abraham going to
sacrifice his son Isaac 600 0
5. The Birth of Jacob and Esau 525 0
6. Joseph and his brothers in Egypt,
composed, not painted.
7. The Death of Jacob surrounded
by his sons in Egypt, ditto.

The Mosaical Dispensation.

8. The Call of Moses, his Rod
turned into a Serpent before the
Burning Bush, composed, but not
painted.
9. Moses and his brother Aaron
before Pharaoh, their Rods turned
into Serpents 1050 0
10. Moses destroying Pharaoh said
his host in the Red Sea 1050 0
11. Moses receiving the Laws on
Mount Sinai 1260 0
12. Moses consecrating Aaron and
his sons to the priesthood 1050 0
13. Moses showing the Brazen Serpent
to the infirm to be healed 1050 0
14. The Death of Aaron on Mount
Hor, composed, but not painted.
15. Moses presenting Joshua to
Eleazar the priest, and Congregation,
as commanded, composed,
but not painted.
16. Moses sees the Promised Land
from the top of Mount Abarim,
and Death, a sketch in oil colours.
17. Joshua commanding the Ark
and Congregation to pass the
river into the Promised Land, a
sketch in oil colour.

The Prophets.

18. The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah 525 0
19. The prophet Samuel anointing
David the son of Jesse, a sketch.
20. The prophesying of Zacharias at
the birth of John his son 525 0
21. The Angels announcing the Birth
of our Saviour, a cartoon for a
painted-glass window, by Mr.
Forrest 525 0
22. The Birth of our Saviour, ditto,
for painted glass, by ditto 525 0
23. The Wise Man's Offering, a
cartoon for ditto 525 0
24. John the Baptist baptizing our
Saviour, on whom the Holy
Ghost descends 1050 0
25. Christ's Temptation and Victory
in the Wilderness, a sketch.
26. Christ beginneth to preach at
Nazareth, his native place, a
sketch.
27. Christ healeth the Sick and
Blind; &c. in the Temple 1050 0
28. The Last Supper; which picture
His Majesty presented to St.
George's Chapel at Windsor 735 0
29. A Last Supper, painted for the
King's Chapel 735 0
30. The Crucifixion, a study in oil
colour, for the glass painting by
Messrs. Jervis and Forrest to
colour from, and the cartoon the
size of the window 1050 0
31. The west end window of St.
George's Chapel, 28 feet wide by
36 high, for them to draw the
figures from on the glass 1050 0
32. The Resurrection, a study in
oil colour, for glass painting by
Messrs. Jervis and Forrest to
colour from 525 0
33. And the cartoon the size of the
window at the east end of St.
George's Chapel, 28 feet wide by
36 high, to draw from on the glass 1050 0
And two side pictures 525 0
34. The Assumption of our Saviour,
for the King's Chapel 1050 0
35. Peter's first Sermon, or the
Apostles receiving the Cloven
Tongues 1050 0
36. Paul and Barnabas rejecting the
Jews, and receiving the Gentiles 1050 0
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[Total] £21,705 0
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Painted for His Majesty's State Rooms in Windsor Castle the following Pictures from the History of Edward III.

1. Edward III. embracing his Son on
the field of battle at Cressy 1365 0
2. The Installation of the most noble
Order of the Garter 1365 0
3. Edward the Black Prince receiving
John King of France and his
son as prisoners 1365 0
4. St. George destroying the Dragon 630 0
5. Queen Philippa defeats David
King of Scotland, at Nevil's
Cross, and takes him prisoner 525 0
6. Queen Philippa soliciting Edward
III. to save St. Pierre and the
brave burgesses of Calais 525 0
7. Edward III. forcing the passage of
the river Somme in France 630 0
8. Edward III. crowning Ribemont
at Calais 525 0
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[Total] £6930 0
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By His Majesty's commands I made
nine designs for the ceiling in the
Queen's Lodge, Windsor, for Mr.
Haas to work the ceilings from.
Viz. 1. Genius inspiring the fine arts
to adorn the useful arts and sciences.
2. Agriculture. 3. Manufactures.
4. Commerce. 5. Botany. 6. Chemistry.
7. Celestial Science. 8. Terrestrial
Science; and 9. To adorn
Empire 525 0
Myself and son, with Mr. Rebecca,
for painting transparent and water
coloured pictures to adorn the marble
gallery at a great evening entertainment
in the Castle given by Their
Majesties to the nobility 250 0
Painted for His Majesty a whole-length
portrait of Prince Octavius
holding the King's sword 73 10
Painted for His Majesty the Apotheosis
of Prince Octavius and Prince
Alfred, in one picture, the size of life 315 0
A portrait of Prince Augustus, half
length, for the Queen.
A second whole length of Her
Majesty, with all the Royal children
in the back-ground, which was placed
in Windsor Castle, but at present in
the Queen's Palace, London 262 10
A picture of Peter denying our,
Saviour, of which His Majesty honoured
me by accepting, two half-length
figures, the size of life.
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[Total] £1426 0
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This is a true statement of the numbers of pictures, cartoons, and drawings of designs, and sketches of scripture subjects, as well as historical events, British as well as Greek, Roman, and other nations, with which I had been honoured by the King's commands, from 1768, to 5th January 1801, to paint for His Majesty; and the charges I made for each was by him most graciously acknowledged, when my account was audited and allowed by Mr. G. Mathias, His Majesty's privy purse, who settled for debtor and creditor the whole amount between the above dates.

Benjamin West.