1738-1815
Copley was a self-taught Boston painter who left America for good, travelled to Italy and much of the rest of Europe, and then settled finally in London, where he competed directly with Reynolds and West. Later in life Copley feuded with West and the Academy. He was the first to dignify contemporary history as legitimate subjects for paintings in the grand style (see below).
Death of Major Pearson 6 Jan. 1781
Siege and Relief of Gibraltor (1782)
1728-1820
West learned to paint in America and then traveled to Italy, where he stayed for three years, before finally settling in London. He became a founder member of the Royal Academy and in 1769 began a prosperous and long association with George III. His Death of Wolfe marks a turning point in history painting: it imposed classical composition on figures in modern dress, without regard to historical details. Other subjects include mythology, classical history, and literature. His prestige was so great that he succeeded Reynolds as President of the Academy in 1792.
Death of Wolfe (1770), London, Tate Gallery
Pylades and Orestes Brought as Victims to Iphegenia (1766), London, Tate Gallery
Death of King Lear (1788), London, Tate