When "Popular" Wasn't a Good Thing

When Benjamin West's painting The Death of Wolfe was unveiled and put on public display at the Royal Academy in London, England in 1771 it caused quite a stir. Although the viewing public believed that the faces of the men in the painting lacked the expressive quality of extreme happiness (they thought that no matter the cost, the men should have been rapturous over their victory over the French), and they were a bit upset that they could not link this painting to a poem or contemporary literary work (like so many other grand historical paintings), they declared the painting a resounding success. The popularity of the piece helped to cement General Wolfe and his accomplishments into the hearts and minds of the English - an enduring popularity for all those aware of his story.

Academics had a different opinion of the painting. The main issue was that West intentionally dressed Wolfe and his compatriots not in classical Grecian drapery, but in the uniforms that they were most likely wearing while at battle. This lack of acceptable decorum went against the teachings of the Royal Academy, and with regards to grand historical works was up to this point simply unheard of. If it didn't fit in with the Academy, how could they possibly accept it? Additionally, to Academic scholars at the time, only the lowest styles and poorest works were admired by the ignorant public who knew little about true taste and the arts. The fact that the painting was so quickly and widely received only added to the ire of the Academy towards the work.

Benjamin West, 1738-1820
The Death of Wolfe. 1770
Oil on canvas
59 1/2" x 84"

What are your thoughts about the painting?
For readers unaware, or for those wondering why I might be discussing the work of an American painter and a British viewing public - it is the subject matter that makes it supremely Canadian. The victory of General Wolfe over the Marquis de Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham (at Quebec City) in 1759 resulted in the transfer of the colony of New France from French to British control. While the original painting is on display at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, West's workshop did create a number of copies - five in total. The last copy to be made is on display at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

For more information: Alan McNairn's 1997 Behold The Hero: General Wolfe and the Arts in the Eighteenth Century, National Gallery of Canada - The Death of Wolfe, National Gallery of Art, USA - Biography of Benjamin West, Government of Canada - Battles of 1759 and 1763