A Blasted Tree

Born in colonial Pennsylvania, Benjamin West enjoyed a meteoric career in England, where he became a court painter to King George III and longtime president of the Royal Academy. Though primarily known as a painter of grand historical scenes, West enjoyed sketching outdoors during his free time. His close relationship with the king gave him access to the parklands around Windsor Castle, where he marveled at ancient trees that survived with just a few scant branches of leaves projecting from their twisted, weather-beaten stumps. In his fascination with the forces of nature—both its destructive power and the will to survive—West is regarded as a forerunner of Romantic artists of the next generation.