WEST IN Exorcism. A person to be exorcised stood with his face towards or his hands stretched in the direction of the west, the region or symbol of dark- ness. See I5o\viN(; towards the East.
West, Benjamin, an eminent American painter, was born at Springfield, Pa., Oct. 10, 1738. He early discovered the artistic genius, sketching a rude likeness of his baby sister at seven years of age, and at the age of eight combining parts of two pictures into an origi- nal design, which he produced in colors on canvas to the infinite delight of his friends. At nine years of age he was introduced into the studio of an artist in Philadelphia named Williams, who gave him encour- agement and furnished him with books on painting, and young West returned home fully resolved to be a painter. His parents, although Friends (and that body of believers were not favorable to the art), encouraged him in his determination, believing that he was predes- tinated to be an artist. His first painting that attract- ed any considerable notice was the portrait of Mrs. Ross, a very beautiful lady, the wife of a lawyer of Lancaster. This effort gained him so many orders for portraits that he could scarcely meet them. About the same time a gunsmith named Henry commissioned him to paint a picture of the Death of Socrates. Being at a loss for a model for the slave who was to band the cup of poi- son to the ])hilosopher, the gunsmith brought him a half-naked negro, and the picture was finished. About this time Dr. Smith, provost of the college at Philadel- phia, induced young West to enter upon a course of studv in that institution which should fit him for the
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high station he was destined to fill. He remained here until he was eighteen, with the exception of a short time when he accompanied IMajor Sir Peter Halkert as a volunteer to search for tlie remains and bury the bones of the army which had been lost under General Braddock. On his return from this expedition, he was called to witness the death of his mother, after which he returned to Philadelphia and set up as a portrait- painter. When he had exhausted his patronage in Philadelphia, he removed to New York, where he met witli still better success. In 17G0 he was assisted bj"^ some wealthy merchant to go abroad for the improve- ment of his talents. At Kome he was patronized by Lord Grantham, whose portrait he painted, became tlie friend of Mengs, and, as the first American artist ever seen in Italy, attracted much attention. He pursued his studies in Italy for three years, during which he was greatly assisted by wealthy Americans. He paint- ed his Cimon and Jphigenia, and Avffeiica and Medora, and was elected member of the academies of Florence. Bologna, and Parma. In 1763, visiting England on his way to America, he was induced to remain in London, and in 17G5 married Eliza Shewell, an American lady, to whom he had been engaged before going to Europe. He painted for the archbishop of York a picture of Agrippina Landing with the Ashes of Germanicus, which attracted the attention of George III, who became his steady friend and patron for forty years, during which time he sketched or painted over four hundred pictures. His first painting for the king was the Departure of Regulns from Rome, and it was so entirely satisfactory that the artist was received by the king on terms of intimacy from that time onward. West was one of the founders of the Royal Academy in 1768, and suc- ceeded Sir Joshua Reynolds as its president in 1792, but declined the honor of knighthood. His Death of Gen- eral Wolfe, painted in the costume of the period against the advice of all the most distinguished painters, effect- ed a revolution in historic art. For the king he paint- ed a series of twenty-eight religious pictures for Wind- sor Castle. His best-known works are, Christ Healing the Sick: — Death on the Pale Horse: — and the Battle of La Hague. He attempted many wonderful, and to most artists dangerous, subjects, such as, Moses Receiv- ing the Law on Sinai: — Descent of the Holy Ghost on the Saviour in the Jordan: ^Opening of the Seventh Seal : — St. Michael and his A ngels Casting Out the Great Dragon: — The Mighty Angel irith One Foot on the Sea- and the Other on the Earth: — the Resurrection: — and others of like character. He died in London, March 11, 1820, and was buried M'ith great pomp in St. Paul's Cathedral. See Spooner, Biog. Hist, of the Fine A rts, s. V. ; Gait, The Life and Studies of Benjamin West (Lond. 1816-20); Cunningham, TAves of Eminent Brit- ish Painters.
West, EHzabeth, a pious lady, the wife of a Scotch clergyman, was born in Edinburgh in 1672, mar- ried Mr. Brie, minister of Sahm, Fifeshire, and died in 1735. She wrote Memoirs, or Spiritual Exercises Writ- ten ivith her otvn Hand (Edinb. 1807). See Allibone, Diet, of Brit, and A nier. A uthors, s. v.
West, Enoch G., a Methodist Episcopal minis- ter, was born in Clermont County, O., Nov. 25, 1825. He was the special object of the prayers of his pious parents from infancy, and the subject of deep religious impressions from childhood ; experienced religion in his fourteenth j'ear, was appointed class-leader at the age of eighteen, joined the Ohio Conference in 1848, and continued energetic and devoted until his death, which occurred at Urbana, O., May 8, 1865. Mr. West possessed a well-stored mind, was a man of deep and uniform piety, bold and firm in principle. See Minutes of Annual Conferences, 1865, p. 168.