Art in America; a critical and historical sketch . trelatively ; not compared with perfection, but with their contemporariesand their opportunities. In estimating men of the past, also, we need toput ourselves in their places, rather than to regard them by the standardof the age in which we live. In no pursuit are men more likely to bemisjudged than in art; for artists are liable to be guided by impulserather than judgment, and the very vehemence of their likes and dislikesrenders their opinions intense rather than broad and charitable. Benja-min West appears to have been born with great natur
Art in America; a critical and historical sketch . trelatively ; not compared with perfection, but with their contemporariesand their opportunities. In estimating men of the past, also, we need toput ourselves in their places, rather than to regard them by the standardof the age in which we live. In no pursuit are men more likely to bemisjudged than in art; for artists are liable to be guided by impulserather than judgment, and the very vehemence of their likes and dislikesrenders their opinions intense rather than broad and charitable. Benja-min West appears to have been born with great natural powers, whichmatured rapidly, and early ceased to develop in excellence proportionateto his extraordinary industry and fidelity to art. EARLY AMERICAN ART. 19 But while a general evenness of quality rather than striking excellencein any particular works was the characteristic of the art of West, togetherwith a certain brick-red tone in his colors not always agreeable, yet ashare of genius must be granted to the artist who painted the Departure. death on the pale horse.—[benjamin west.] of Eegulus, Death on the Pale Horse, and The Death of unquestionably implied daring and consciousness of power to brave theopposition of contemporary opinions and abandon classic costume in his-torical compositions as he did; to win to his side the judgment of SirJoshua Reynolds, and create a revolution in certain phases of art. Not-withstanding this, however, West was emphatically a man of his time,moulded by it rather than forming it, and inclined to he entered the arena, art was in a depressed condition both in he studied, and in England. But while Reynolds and Gainsbor-ough gave a fresh impulse to art, Wests genius, ripening precociously,early became incapable of achieving further progress. West established himself as a portrait-painter at the age of fifteen:and in the following year—1755—Copley also engaged in the same pur-suit, when only se
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