Benjamin West

Benjamin West helped establish the fine-art painting tradition in the United States. Born in Springfield, Pennsylvania, West showed artistic talent at a young age. He was encouraged to study history, art, and antiquity in Europe; in 1760 he became the first American artist to study in Italy. In 1763 he went to London, where King George III made him a member of the Royal Academy. West spent the rest of his life in London, keeping an open-door policy for American artists traveling abroad.