Landscape

Benjamin West was primarily known as a history and portrait painter, but he also produced several small landscape sketches. In a lecture at the Royal Academy in 1797, West said 'observe with the same contemplative eye, the landscape, the appearance of trees, figures dispersed around...omit not to observe the light and shade in consequence of the sun's being intercepted by clouds and other accidents.' The play of light and the movement of the clouds are key features in this small study.