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Helen Brought to Paris

Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery
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Object Details

Artist
Benjamin West, born Springfield, PA 1738-died London, England 1820
Gallery Label
Benjamin West was in a complicated position as painter to King George III. He was an American who had made his reputation with classical scenes painted for English aristocrats and royalty. Yet, in a court ruled by strict etiquette, West and the king had many frank conversations about the tensions brewing in the American colonies. The union of Helen and Paris led to the Trojan war, and the shadow falling over Cupid's face at the center of this painting may reflect West's fear of war between the monarch and his subjects across the Atlantic.Exhibition Label, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2006
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase
1776
Object number
1969.33
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
Painting
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
56 3/8 x 75 3/8 in. (143.3 x 198.3 cm.)
See more items in
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department
Painting and Sculpture
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Topic
Mythology\classical\Cupid
History\United States\Revolution
Mythology\classical\Venus
Mythology\classical\Paris
Mythology\classical\Helen
Record ID
saam_1969.33
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk79d896f69-4328-45f2-840c-6dbb126cf862
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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