The Death of General Wolfe
Benjamin West’s The Death of General Wolfe is a near perfect History Painting. Not because it’s accurate. Rather it sets a prime example of West’s reinvented genre. With his buddy, John Singleton Copley, West created a new form of history portrayal. The duo painted current events with dramatic flair. Before them, History Paintings stuck to Classical and Bible stories. These artist friends thus founded contemporary History Painting.
For instance, the General falls with tragic grace at the center of The Death of General Wolfe. This had just happened in 1759, during The Seven Years War. Eleven years later West weaved artistic license into it. In truth, Wolfe took three musket balls at the height of battle. There’s no way he died with such elegance. He appears to float into the arms of his compadres, gentle as a feather.
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