Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 360 works by Benjamin West in our catalogue
In short
Benjamin West's best-known piece is The Death of General Wolfe (1770). You'll find it at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. Next on the list are The Last Supper (1786) and The Bard (1778). We have 360 works by Benjamin West in our catalogue; this guide picks out the 100 best known, with the year, the museum and the story of each piece.
The Death of General Wolfe: A Masterpiece of Historical Art Historical Context and Significance "The Death of General Wolfe" by Benjamin West is an iconic painting that captures a pivotal moment in history—the Battle of Quebec on September 13, 1759. This battle, part of the Seven Years' War, decided the fate of France's colonies in North America. General James Wolfe, who led the British forces to victory, was mortally wounded…
Benjamin West's "The Last Supper," painted in 1786, isn’t merely a depiction of a biblical event; it’s a profound exploration of human emotion and the genesis of faith. This monumental oil on canvas, currently residing at the Detroit Institute of Arts, transcends its historical subject matter to become a timeless meditation on betrayal, disbelief, and the quiet dignity of sacrifice. West, a pivotal figure bridging the worlds of Neoclassicism and…
Benjamin West's "The Bard," painted in 1778, is more than just a portrait; it’s a carefully constructed meditation on the role of the poet, the weight of classical learning, and perhaps, a subtle reflection of the burgeoning revolutionary spirit taking hold across the Atlantic. Measuring a modest 22 x 29 cm, this oak panel painting currently resides within the hallowed halls of Tate Britain in London, yet its impact resonates…
Benjamin West's "Alexander III of Scotland Rescued from the Fury of a Stag by the Intrepidity of Colin Fitzgerald" – often referred to as “The Death of the Stag” – is more than just a historical painting; it’s a visceral tableau of courage, loyalty, and the very essence of Highland legend. Completed in 1786, this monumental work, now residing within the Scottish National Gallery, transports us directly into a pivotal…
In St. George and the Dragon, Benjamin West orchestrates a scene of intense movement through a precise diagonal arrangement. The knight, mounted upon a rearing white horse, descends from the upper left toward the dragon positioned in the lower right. This structural choice directs the eye through the center of the struggle, emphasizing the momentum of the descent. The composition is tight and immersive, utilizing a close-up perspective that creates…
Benjamin West's "Death on a Pale Horse," painted in 1796, isn't merely a depiction of a biblical scene; it’s an immersive plunge into the heart of human anxiety and the sublime terror of impending doom. Born amidst the burgeoning intellectual currents of colonial America, West was a painter who defied easy categorization, seamlessly blending Neoclassical restraint with Romantic fervor. This particular work, one of three versions created around the same…
Benjamin West’s “The Death of Hyacinth,” completed in 1771, stands as a cornerstone of British Romanticism's nascent influence on the American artistic landscape. Currently residing within the Philadelphia Museum of Art, this monumental oil painting transcends mere depiction; it embodies an emotional resonance that continues to captivate viewers centuries later.
Benjamin West’s “Portrait of George, Prince of Wales, and Prince Frederick, later Duke of York” (1778) is more than just a likeness; it's a meticulously crafted tableau vivant offering a rare glimpse into the social dynamics and burgeoning political currents of 18th-century Britain. Housed within the walls of The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, this oil on canvas masterpiece transcends mere portraiture, becoming a study in power, familial connection, and the…
The forest air hangs heavy and still, thick with the scent of damp earth and ancient leaves. Within this dark, atmospheric woodland, a profound tragedy unfolds in a single, frozen moment of grief. A woman lies motionless across the lower half of the canvas, her pale skin catching a sharp, theatrical light that seems to pierce through the murky canopy above. She is draped in deep, ultramarine blue fabric, her…
The canvas bears the title The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. Benjamin West applied oil to the surface in 1791. This work captures the heavy moment when Archangel Michael drives Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. The figures move away from the sanctuary, leaving the peace of the garden behind.
Joseph Banks1773 · Usher Art Gallery
12
Paetus and Arria1766 · Yale Center for British Art
13
Elizabeth West (née Shewell), and Her son Raphael1773 · Yale Center for British Art
14
King Lear1788
15
The Death of Chatham1778 · Yale Center for British Art
16
Portrait of Dr. Enoch Edwards1750 · Brooklyn Museum
17
The Artist and His Son Raphael1773 · Yale Center for British Art
18
The Cave of Despair1772 · Yale Center for British Art
19
Alfred the Third King of Mercia Visiting William d' Albanac
20
Sir Thomas Strange, 1756 - 1841. Chief Justice in Madras1799 · Scottish National Portrait Gallery
21
King Lear1788 · Detroit Institute of Arts
22
Self-Portrait1818 · Harvard Art Museums
23
George Harry Grey, Lord Grey (later the Fifth Earl of Stamford)1765 · Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
24
The Apotheosis of Prince Octavius (1779-83)1783 · Buckingham Palace
25
Queen Philippa at the Battle of Neville's Cross1789 · Art Institute of Chicago
26
Portrait of a Man1794 · Art Institute of Chicago
27
Edward III (1312 1377) with the Black Prince (1330 1376) after the Battle of Crecy (1346)1789 · Royal Collection
28
Prince Adolphus, later Duke of Cambridge, with Princess Mary and Princess Sophia1778 · Buckingham Palace
29
Cymon and Iphigenia1766 · Yale Center for British Art
30
Portrait of the Drummond Family, Peter Auriol Drummond (1754-1799), Mary Bridget Milnes Drummond (1755-1835), and George William Drummond (1761-1807)1776 · Minneapolis Institute of Art
31
The Indians Delivering up the English Captives to Colonel Bouquet near his camp at the folks of Muskingum, North America in November 17641769 · Yale Center for British Art
32
Portrait of Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyontye1776 · National Gallery of Art
33
Christ Showing the Little Children as the Emblem of Heaven1815 · Dallas Museum of Art
34
Queen Charlotte1777 · Yale Center for British Art
35
Sarah Ursula Rose1756 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
36
Mr. John Utterson of Fareham, Hampshire1769 · USC Fisher Museum of Art
37
Portrait of Admiral Ommaney1773 · National Gallery of Ireland
38
Elizabeth Shewell West and Her Son, Raphael1770 · Cleveland Museum of Art
39
Sir Edward Astley, 4th Baronet Astley of Hill Morton (1729-1802)1773
40
Captain John Neale Pleydell Nott RN (1732-1781)1770
41
The Artist's Wife, Elizabeth Shewell, Mrs Benjamin West (1741-1814) and their Son Raphael Lamar West (1769-1850)1770 · Blickling Hall
42
The Continence of Scipio1766 · Fitzwilliam Museum
43
Portrait of Miss Sarah Elizabeth Young, Subsequently Mrs. Richard Ottley1775 · LSU Museum of Art
44
Study of the Lamentation on the Dead Christ1785 · Yale Center for British Art
45
Charles Willson Peale (1741–1827)1768 · New York Historical Society
46
Portrait of George, First Lord Lyttelton1772
47
Earth
48
Christ Healing the Sick in the Temple
49
Mrs. Benjamin West and Her Son Raphael1767
50
The Three Marys at the Sepulchre1783
51
Christ healing the sick in the temple1780 · Fitzwilliam Museum
52
Sketch for ‘The Ascension’1782
53
The Last Supper1784
54
St. Peter Denying Christ1778 · Royal Collection
55
Queen Charlotte (1744-1818) with Charlotte, Princess Royal (1766-1828)1776 · Royal Collection
56
Princess Augusta, Princess Elizabeth, Prince Ernest, Prince Augustus, Prince Adolphus and Princess Mary1776 · Royal Collection
57
Augustus, Duke of Sussex1780 · Royal Collection
58
Prince Octavius (1779-83)1783 · Royal Collection
59
Queen Charlotte (1744-1818)1782 · Royal Collection
60
William IV, when Prince William, and Edward, Duke of Kent, when Prince Edward1778 · Royal Collection
61
Devout Men Taking the Body of Saint Stephen1776 · Museum of Fine Arts
62
King Lear1789 · Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art
63
British Manufactory; A Sketch1791 · Cleveland Museum of Art
64
The Nativity1792 · Petworth House
65
George III and Queen Charlotte1789 · Royal Collection
66
Saint George Slaying the Dragon1787 · Royal Collection
67
Edward III Entertaining his Prisoners1788 · Royal Collection
68
The Bathing Place at Ramsgate1788 · Yale Center for British Art
69
Edward, the Black Prince, Receiving King John of France after the Battle of Poitiers1788 · Royal Collection
70
Cicero Discovering the Tomb of Archimedes1804 · Yale University Art Gallery
71
The Pilgrim Mourning His Dead Ass1800 · Museum of Fine Arts
72
Saint John the Evangelist Called to Write the Revelation1797 · Museum of Fine Arts
73
Milkmaids in St. James's Park, Westminster Abbey Beyond1801 · Yale Center for British Art
74
Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant1800 · Art Gallery of New South Wales
75
Cupid Stung by a Bee1802 · Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
76
Phaeton asking Apollo to drive the Sun chariot1804
77
Milkmaids in St. James's Park, Westminster Abbey beyond1801
78
The Beast Riseth Out of the Sea1797
79
Eagle bringing cup to Psyche1802
80
Cupid Releasing Two Doves1798
81
Hannah Presenting Samuel to Eli1800
82
The Apotheosis of Nelson1807 · Yale Center for British Art
83
Thetis Bringing the Armor to Achilles1805 · New York Historical Society
84
Mrs Thomas Keyes and Her Daughter1806
85
Narcissus and Echo1805
86
Shah ‘Alam (Mughal Emperor 1759-1806) conveying the Grant of the Diwani to Lord Clive, August 17651818
87
The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise1791 · Art Institute of Chicago
88
Portrait of Sir John Griffin Griffin1772
89
Portrait of Captain Christopher Codrington Bethell1769 · Georgia Museum of Art
90
Harvesting at Windsor
91
The Conversion of St. Paul1786 · Dallas Museum of Art
92
Saul Before Samuel ^ the Prophets
93
Cupid, Stung by a Bee, Is Cherished by his Mother1774 · National Gallery of Art
94
The Artist and His Family1772 · Yale Center for British Art
95
Katherine Clayton, Lady Howard de Walden1772
96
Saint Michael and the Dragon1797 · Toledo Museum of Art
97
Archangel Michael ^ Satan
98
Cornelia Mother of the Gracchi Showing her Children as her only Ornaments
99
The Fatal Wounding of Sir Philip Sidney
100
Francis Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds
The four subjects that come up most often in these pieces, each with its best-known example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Benjamin West | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Yale Center for British Art |
New Haven | 16 | Paetus and Arria, Elizabeth West (née Shewell), and Her son Raphael, The Death of Chatham |
 Royal Collection |
London | 27 | Edward III (1312 1377) with the Black Prince (1330 1376) after the Battle of Crecy (1346), St. Peter Denying Christ, Queen Charlotte (1744-1818) with Charlotte, Princess Royal (1766-1828) |
 Art Institute of Chicago |
Chicago | 4 | The Death of Procris, Queen Philippa at the Battle of Neville's Cross, Portrait of a Man |
 National Gallery of Art |
Washington | 10 | The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, Portrait of Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyontye, Cupid, Stung by a Bee, Is Cherished by his Mother |
 Detroit Institute of Arts |
Detroit | 7 | The Last Supper, Death on a Pale Horse, King Lear |
 New York Historical Society |
New York City | 4 | Charles Willson Peale (1741–1827), Thetis Bringing the Armor to Achilles |
 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco |
San Francisco | 3 | George Harry Grey, Lord Grey (later the Fifth Earl of Stamford), Cupid Stung by a Bee |
 Cleveland Museum of Art |
Cleveland | 3 | Elizabeth Shewell West and Her Son, Raphael, British Manufactory; A Sketch |
Pick a decade to see its standout piece.
A single, steady gaze meets the viewer from the shadows of the late eighteenth century. Dr. Enoch Edwards sits in a three-quarter view, his presence defined by the sharp contrast between the dark, heavy velvet of his coat and the luminous white of his cravat. He holds a document, a pale rectangle of paper that catches the light, anchoring his hands within the composition. The light falls across his face…
The air in the room feels heavy, thick with the scent of old stone and impending finality. A man leans forward, his hand pressed against his forehead in a gesture of profound distress. He is a figure of slumped posture and quiet agony. Opposite him, a woman sits with a steady gaze. Her white garment catches the light, a sharp contrast to the deep, dark green drapery that hangs like…
The Death of General Wolfe: A Masterpiece of Historical Art Historical Context and Significance "The Death of General Wolfe" by Benjamin West is an iconic painting that captures a pivotal moment in history—the Battle of Quebec on September 13, 1759. This battle, part of the Seven Years' War, decided the fate of France's colonies in North America. General James Wolfe, who led the British forces to victory, was mortally wounded…
Benjamin West's "The Last Supper," painted in 1786, isn’t merely a depiction of a biblical event; it’s a profound exploration of human emotion and the genesis of faith. This monumental oil on canvas, currently residing at the Detroit Institute of Arts, transcends its historical subject matter to become a timeless meditation on betrayal, disbelief, and the quiet dignity of sacrifice. West, a pivotal figure bridging the worlds of Neoclassicism and…
Benjamin West's "Death on a Pale Horse," painted in 1796, isn't merely a depiction of a biblical scene; it’s an immersive plunge into the heart of human anxiety and the sublime terror of impending doom. Born amidst the burgeoning intellectual currents of colonial America, West was a painter who defied easy categorization, seamlessly blending Neoclassical restraint with Romantic fervor. This particular work, one of three versions created around the same…
Benjamin West, an American artist born in Springfield, PA, produced this Self-Portrait during his later years. Created in the United States/North America, the work dates to about 1818. It is an oil on wood panel that captures the artist's own likeness.
Top of the list is The Death of General Wolfe (1770), Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. Right behind it: The Last Supper (1786) and The Bard (1778).
32 years old. Benjamin West was born in 1738, and The Death of General Wolfe dates from 1770.
The Death of General Wolfe, The Last Supper, The Bard, Alexander III of Scotland Rescued from the Fury of a Stag by the Intrepidity of Colin Fitzgerald (, St. George and the Dragon, Death on a Pale Horse, The Death of Hyacinth, Portrait of George, Prince of Wales, and Prince Frederick, later Duke of York, The Death of Procris and The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. You'll find the year and the museum of each in the list above.
We have 360 works by Benjamin West in our catalogue, dated 1750 to 1818.
You'll find most of them in Yale Center for British Art (New Haven), Royal Collection (London) and Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago). The museum list above has the full breakdown.
In 1770s, more than any other time: 30 of the 100 pieces on this page date from then, The Death of General Wolfe among them.
The earliest piece here is Portrait of Dr. Enoch Edwards (1750); the most recent is Self-Portrait (1818).
Man (21), Woman (17) and Horse (7), out of the 100 pieces on this page.
Oil On Canvas, used in 34 of the 100 pieces on this page.
Neoclassicism, as you can see in the pieces on this page.
You can see 13 of the pieces on this page at the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, including Paetus and Arria, Elizabeth West (née Shewell), and Her son Raphael and The Death of Chatham.
Yes. Every painting on this page is available as a hand-painted oil reproduction or a print, in the size that suits you. Just open the painting's page to order.
