Benjamin West, P.R.A.
- Artist: Gilbert Stuart
- Date: ?exhibited 1781
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 895 x 698 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the “Benjamin West, P.R.A.” by Gilbert Stuart, painted in 1781. The work shows the American-born history painter Benjamin West, half‑length, seated in a striped‑red chair, his pale green‑grey coat and yellow‑green waistcoat catching the light. A frilly jabot peeks from between his buttoned buttons, and a powdered wig crowns his receding hairline. West leans on his left elbow, his gaze directed to the right, and he holds a rolled sheet of paper that suggests an unfinished sketch or a moment of thought.
The portrait reflects West’s status as a favourite of King George III, hinting at his affluent, genteel character. Gilbert Stuart, a successful American pupil who trained under West in London, painted this with a dynamic pose that echoes the influence of Gainsborough, blending British refinement with an energetic, almost “artist” quality. Stuart’s signature, “G Stuart,” is faintly visible in the lower right corner—a rare signature in his work.
The canvas debuted at the Royal Academy in 1781, then passed through private hands before being presented to the National Gallery in 1853. It eventually found its way to the Tate in 1919. This portrait offers a rare glimpse of two transatlantic artists in London, combining American ambition with British portrait tradition.
See it in person
Benjamin West, P.R.A. is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
