Paddington Canal

1801

Benjamin West American, 1738-1820

On View

American, Level 2, West Wing

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Provenance

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Exhibition History

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Published References

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Catalogue Raisonné

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About the Artwork

Title Paddington Canal

Artwork Date 1801

Artist Benjamin West

Life Dates 1738-1820

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. American

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. ----------

Medium Oil on panel

Dimensions Unframed: 39 × 56 1/2 inches (99.1 × 143.5 cm) Framed: 45 5/8 × 62 1/4 × 3 1/2 inches (115.9 × 158.1 × 8.9 cm)

Classification Paintings

Department American Art before 1950

Credit Gift of Dexter M. Ferry, Jr.

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 57.247

Markings

Signed Signed and dated, lower center: B. West 1801

Provenance

May 22-25, 1829, West sale, George Robins, lot 59 (London, England).
1829, Henry Pierce Bone (London, England).
1921, dealer, Daniel H. Farr (New York, New York, USA).
1954, dealer, Victor Spark (New York, New York, USA).
Hirschl and Adler Galleries (New York, New York, USA).
1957-present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

For more information on provenance, please visit:

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Exhibition History

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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.

We welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.

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Published References

“A Correct Catalogue of the Works of Mr. West.” Public Characters of 1805 (1805): p. 566.

“A Correct List of the Works of Mr. West.” Universal Magazine 3 (1805): p. 530.

Barlow, Joel. The Columbiad. A Poem. Philadelphia, 1807, p. 435.

“A Correct Catalogue of the Works of Benjamin West, Esq.” La Belle Assemblee or Bell’s Court and Fashionable Magazine 4 (1808): p. 17.

Galt, John. The Life and Works of Benjamin West, ESQ., President of the Royal Academy of London, Subsequent to his Arrival in the Country. London, 1820, p. 228.

West, Benjamin. Letter from the sons of Benjamin West, deceased, late President of the Royal Academy of London, offering to sell to the government of the United States sundry paintings of that artist. 9th Congress, 2nd session, doc. No. 8, House of Reps, 1826, p. 5, no. 29.

Smith, John Thomas. Nollekens and his Times, Vol. 1. London, 1828, pp. 383-384.

Benjamin West Memorial Exhibition. Exh. cat., Philadelphia Art Alliance. Philadelphia, 1921, no. 17.

Dillenberger, John. Benjamin West: The Context of his Life’s Work with Particular Attention to Paintings with Religious Subject Matter. San Antonio, 1977, p. 173.

Rivard, Nancy. “American Paintings at the Detroit Institute of Arts.” Antiques 114, 2 (November 1978): p. 1046 (pl. 2).

Von Erffa, Helmut and Allen Staley. Benjamin West. New Haven, CT, 1986, pp. 426-427, no. 466 (ill.).

Black, Mary, et al. American Paintings in the Detroit Institute of Arts, Volume One: Works by Artists Born Before 1816. New York, 1991, pp. 241-243, no. 110.

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