The bent of West's mind was well known to his connexions and friends, and the indulgence given by his father to his inclinations, was regarded rather unfavourably by the members of the re ligious society to which he belonged. He was anxious, therefore, in determining the future course of his son, to receive the countenance and appro bation of his friends. For this purpose a meeting of the members of his own society was called, at the meeting-house at Springfield, to deliberate on the subject, and to advise the father upon this in teresting occasion. At this meeting, after a long debate and consultation, it was finally concluded that as God had evidently bestowed upon the youth extraordinary genius for the art of painting, it would be presumption in them to attempt to counteract the designs of Omniscience, or to say that these peculiar talents ought not to be culti vated. In the strong inclinations of the young man's mind, they saw an impulse of the divine hand, pointing to his proper destination. This conclusion, so liberal, and at the same time so ra tional, is alike honourable to the youth who was the object of it, and to the assembled elders of a sect whose prejudices and peculiar views were opposed to the occupation to which \Vest seemed destined.
After this first meeting, another was appointed to be held at his father's house, at which young West was desired to be present. Here the pre vious solemn conclusion of the first assembly was confirmed, and the youth received the encourage ment and the blessing of the venerable heads of his own society, of both sexes, who had met on his ac count, and who, in obedience to what they believed to be the designs of Providence, gave their sanc tion to a pursuit which was not in accordance with the strictness of their peculiar tenets. It was cause of gratitude to West during life, and was a source of his most pleasing recollections, even when en couraged by the patronage of princes, that he had engaged in his favourite pursuit with the appro bation of his friends, and the blessings of the so ciety to which his family belonged.
After it had been determined by his relations and friends, that Benjamin West should pursue the bent of his inclinations, and cultivate his favourite art, he returned to Philadelphia, and resided with his relation John Clarkson, where his studies were directed by Dr. Smith. He continued his studies and the practice of his art in Philadelphia, New York, Lancaster and some other places, until the year 1759. when it was resolved that he should visit Europe, and study the masterly performances of Rome and the other cities of Italy. Ile em barked at Philadelphia, on the 10th of October 1759, and after a pleasant passage, during which the vessel touched at Gibraltar, and several ports on the coast of Spain, he landed at Leghorn, whence he proceeded to Rome, where he was im mediately introduced by letters from his friends in Philadelphia and Leghorn, to some of the most distinguished characters in that emporium of the fine arts. He early obtained an introduction, by means of an English gentleman residing at Rome, to Mengs, a famous Italian artist, who was at that time in the height of his popularity. The cir
cumstance of an American, and a quaker, coming to Rome to study the fine arts, was thought so singular and extraordinary, that Mengs expressed much surprise at the information. He requested West to show him a specimen of his skill. This request was readily complied with, and a portrait of the English gentlemen who had procured his introduction to Mengs, and with whom West was on terms of intimacy, was soon produced, which received the applause of the best judges in Rome, as well as of the artist himself; and West was at once acknowledged as second only in his art to the first painter then at Rome. "Mengs himself, on seeing the picture, expressed his opi nion in terms that did honour to his liberality, and gave the artist advice which he never forgot, nor remembered without gratitude. He told him the portrait showed that he had no occasion to learn to paint at Rome. You have already, sir,' said he, the mechanical part of your art; what I would therefore recommend to you, is, to see and examine every thing deserving attention here, and after making a few drawings of about half a dozen of the best statues, go to Florence, and observe what has been clone by art in the collections there; then proceed to Bologne, and study the works of Carracca; afterwards visit Parma, and examine attentively, the pictures of Correggio; and then go to Venice, and view the productions of the great masters there. When you have made this tour, come back to Rome, and paint a historical com position, to be exhibited to the Roman public, and the opinion which will then be formed of your talents, should determine the line of our profess ion you ought to pursue.' This judicious advice, West found to accord so well with his own reflec tions and principles, that he resolved to follow it with care and attention."* West spent about four years in Italy, in visiting those places recommended to him by Alengs, and in studying the works of the great•masters of Italy and Rome. From Italy he went to France, where lie remained no longer than was necessary to enable him to visit the works of the French artists, and the museums and royal collections at Paris. He was con vinced by this visit to Paris, that the French did not possess the same taste for the fine arts as the Ital ians. He reached London in the month of August 1763. Here a new era opens in the life of this extraor dinary man. He had left his native country to visit the schools of the artists in Italy, and to become acquainted with the works of the great masters of antiquity. That concurrence of prosperous and fortunate events which seemed always to accom pany him through life, had made his journey through Italy delightful beyond his most sanguine expectations, and gained him the esteem and con fidence of some of the first characters in Europe. From the society of plain, unassuming Pennsylva nia quakers, the son of a farmer, born in the country, and reared in the simple habits of the followers of William Penn, he was now about to become the companion of courtiers, and to obtain the patronage and the confidence of princes. But in every situation he retained the same grave un assuming traits of character.