Benjamin West: Bridging America and the Neoclassical Ideal Born in Springfield, Pennsylvania, in 1738 – a location now recognized as Swarthmore – Benjamin West’s life was one of remarkable transatlantic movement and artistic evolution. His early years were marked by a self-taught apprenticeship, nurtured by his parents who recognized his innate talent for drawing. This foundational period, steeped in the traditions of colonial America and informed by his family's innkeeping business, provided a unique perspective that would profoundly shape his artistic vision. West’s journey began not with…