In anticipation of this fall’s exhibit, the University of Michigan Museum of Art’s magazine presents Benjamin West’s painting, The Death of General Wolfe, as both a featured item and cover image. The painting, which generally hangs in the Clements main room, will be on display at the UMMA from September 22nd until January 13th. Clements Curator of Graphic Materials Clayton Lewis also contributes an essay to the exhibit’s catalog.
West’s painting is known for not only depicting history but for making it–the painter defied the conventions set by the Royal Academy in depicting his subjects in contemporary, rather than classical, dress. The exhibit at UMMA brings The Death of General Wolfe into conversation with dozens of other works from Michigan, Canada, and Britain, examining the influence of artists–from painters to engravers to cartographers–on Britain’s rise as the dominant colonial power of the age.
Visit UMMA this fall to see West’s painting, and stop by the Clements Library for further research on the art that raised an empire.