Rinaldo Rescued from Armida 1766 - 1800

Benjamin West created this pencil sketch, Rinaldo Rescued from Armida, in either Britain or America towards the end of the eighteenth, or the start of the nineteenth century. The sketch draws on a scene from Tasso’s epic poem Jerusalem Delivered. West was a successful painter of historical scenes and a president of the Royal Academy in London. The Academy advocated for an elevated form of history painting that would ennoble public life. West devoted himself to this project and made several paintings based on literature, mythology, and religion. The imagery we see here, in this sketch, derives from one of the most popular sources of the day and is meant to ennoble the viewer with scenes of courage and honor. As an art historian, I might look at Academy records, exhibition reviews, and popular literature to better understand the values and the social function of art at this time.