Sketch for a Family Group 

This is Benjamin West’s Sketch for a Family Group, made with graphite on paper. West lived between 1738 and 1820, a period when the institutions of art were becoming increasingly public. Here, West experiments with the conventions of family portraiture. Note how the figures are grouped informally, yet they still convey a sense of status. This domestic scene is set against a neoclassical backdrop. The lamps on the table and the arrangement of the figures, suggest an upper-class British household. West was an American-born artist who found success in London, eventually becoming president of the Royal Academy. His career reflects the increasing professionalization of art. If we want to understand West's work fully, we need to look at the archives of the Royal Academy, the records of his patrons, and the broader social and cultural history of Britain at the time. By understanding these contexts, we can gain a richer appreciation of this sketch.