Contents.
The Birth and Paternal Ancestry of Mr. West.--His Maternal Family.--His Father.--The Origin of the Abolition of Slavery by the Quakers.--The Progress of the Abolition.--The Education of the Negroes.--The Preaching of Edmund Peckover.--His Admonitory Prediction to the Father of West.--The first Indication of Benjamin's Genius.--State of Society in Pennsylvania.--The Indians give West the Primary Colours.--The Artist's first Pencils.--The Present of a Box of Colours and Engravings.--His first Painting.
The Artist visits Philadelphia.--His second Picture.--Williams the Painter gives him the works of Fresnoy and Richardson.--Anecdote of the Taylor's Apprentice.--The Drawings of the Schoolboys.--Anecdote relative to Wayne.--Anecdote relative to Mr. Flower.--Anecdote relative to Mr. Ross.--Anecdote of Mr. Henry.--The Artist's first Historical Picture.--Origin of his Acquaintance with Dr. Smith of Philadelphia.--The friendship of Dr. Smith, and the character of the early companions of West.--Anecdote of General Washington.
The course of instruction adopted by Provost Smith.--The Artist led to the discovery of the Camera.--His Father becomes anxious to place him in business.--Extraordinary proceedings of the Quakers in consequence.--The Speech of Williamson the Preacher in defence of the Fine Arts.--Magnanimous Resolution of the Quakers.--Reflections on this singular transaction.
Reflections on the Eccentricities of Young Men of Genius with respect to pecuniary matters.--The Death of the Artist's Mother.--The Embodying of the Pennsylvanian Militia; an Anecdote of General Wayne.--The Artist elected Commandant of a corps of Volunteer boys.--The circumstances which occasioned the Search for the Bones of Bradock's army.--The Search.--The Discovery of the Bones of the Father and Brother of Sir Peter Halket.--The Artist proposed afterwards to paint a Picture of the Discovery of the Bones of the Halkets.--He commences regularly as a Painter.--He copies a St. Ignatius.--He is induced to attempt Historical Portraiture.--His Picture of the Trial of Susannah.--Of the merits of that Picture.
Motives which induced him to visit New York.--State of Society in New York.--Reflections on the sterility of American talent.--Considerations on the circumstances which tend to produce Poetical feelings.--The causes which produced the peculiarities in the state of Society in New York.--The Accident which led the Artist to discover the method of colouring Candle-light and Fire effects after Nature.--- He copies Strange's engraving of Belisarius, by Salvator Rosa.--The occurrence which hastened his Voyage to Italy, with the Anecdote of his obligations to Mr. Kelly.--Reflections on Plutarch, occasioned by reference to the effect which his works had on the mind of West.--The Artist embarks; occurrence at Gibraltar.--He arrives at Leghorn.--Journey to Rome.
State of the stationary Society of Rome.--Causes which rendered the City a delightful temporary residence.--Defects of the Academical methods of study.--His introduction to Mr. Robinson.--Anecdote of Cardinal Albani.--The Cardinal's method of finding Resemblances, and curious mistake of the Italians.--The Artist's first visit to the Works of Art.
Anecdote of a famous Improvisatore.--West the subject of one of his finest effusions.--Anecdote of Cardinal Albani.--West introduced to Mengs.--Satisfactory result of West's first essay in Rome.--Consequence of the continual excitement which the Artist's feelings endured.--He goes to Florence for advice.--He accompanies Mr. Matthews in a tour.--Singular instance of liberality towards the Artist from several Gentlemen of Philadelphia.
The result of the Artist's experiment to discover the methods by which Titian produced his splendid colouring.--He returns to Rome.--Reflections suggested by inspecting the Egyptian Obelisk.--Considerations of the Author on the same subject; an anecdote of a Mohawk Indian who became an Actor at New York.--Anecdote of a Scottish Fanatic who arrived in Rome to convert the Pope.--Sequel of the Adventure.--The Artist prepares to visit England.--Having completed his St. Jerome, after Corregio's famous picture, he is elected an Honorary Member of the Academy of Parma, and invited to Court.--He proceeds by the way of Genoa towards France.--Reflections on the Stale of Italy.--Adventure on reaching the French frontiers.--State of Taste in France.