General Thaddeus Kosciusko

Benjamin West was born near Philadelphia, where he studied before sailing to Italy in 1760. He spent three years there, primarily in Rome, and was influenced by sixteenth century works as well as those of his contemporaries, who included portraitist Pompeo Batoni. West moved to England in 1763 and lived there until his death, achieving great success; he was a founding member of the Royal Academy and a painter to King George III.

This small work by West shows General Thaddeus Kosciusko (1746-1817), a Polish patriot who fought for the Americans in the Revolutionary War, and repeatedly for Polish independence against the Russians, Prussians, and Austrians. He is seen reclining on a sofa, propped up by pillows, and holding a hand to his head. A crutch leans against the wall, and a Polish officer's hat of blue velvet and gold braid is visible on a stool, as is a sword-likely the one given to the general by a group of English Whigs in the spring of 1797, when he passed through London. The setting of the painting commemorates Kosciusko's visit to that city: through the window, the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral is visible.

During Kosciusko's stay in London, he was visited by Benjamin West. A journal entry by diarist Joseph Farington for June 8 mentions the AMAM painting, reporting:

West saw General Koscioscou yesterday. .!.!. The Genl. was laid on a couch-had a black silk band round his head-& was drawing Landscapes, which is his principal amusement. He speaks English, appears to be abt. 45 years of age; and abt. 5 feet 8 Inches high. One side of him is paralytic-the effect of a cannon shot passing over him-He had two stabbs in his back- one cut in his head .!.!. He lodges at the Hotel in Leicester Fields formerly the house of Hogarth. West shewed me a small picture which He yesterday began to paint from memory of Koscioscow on a Couch.

The intimate quality of the work-and its presence in West's possession following his death-seem to indicate that it was a personal recollection of the artist's encounter with a remarkable man. In 1826, West's sons offered the work for sale to the United States government, as the foundation for a National Gallery. The government rejected the offer, and it was subsequently sold at auction in 1829. The AMAM collection also includes an earlier painting by West, Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph, a larger work of 1766.