Francis Robert West (c. 1749 – 24 January 1809) was an Irish artist, draughtsman and teacher.

Life and family

Francis Robert West was born in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

around 1749. He was the eldest son of

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

and Maria West. He received his initial training from his father. West was married twice, first to Angelica Wolverston, with Strickland describing him as a "most unwilling bridegroom". His second marriage was to Ellen Walsh. He had 4 sons, Lucius Francis, William who became a surgeon in the navy, while

Micheal Micheal is a masculine given name. It is sometimes an anglicized form of the Irish names Micheál, Mícheál and Michéal; or the Scottish Gaelic name Mìcheal. It is also a spelling variant of the common masculine given name '' Michael'', and is ...

and Robert Lucius both became artists. Robert Lucius succeeded his father as master of the Dublin Society School. Between 1770 and 1771, he lived at "Mrs Duff's, Cope Street", moving to Exchequer Street in 1772, where he lived for the rest of his life. West died on 24 January 1809 at his home at 31 Exchequer Street.

Career

West was an accomplished draughtsman like his father, and spoke fluent

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

. In 1770, West took over as master of the

Dublin Society The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) ( ga, Cumann Ríoga Bhaile Átha Cliath) is an Irish philanthropic organisation and members club which was founded as the 'Dublin Society' on 25 June 1731 with the aim to see Ireland thrive culturally and economi ...

drawing school his father had founded and held this position until his death. His younger brother, John (died 12 March 1818), was a porter at the school. West paid his brother out his own wages. West's father had tried unsuccessfully to train John as an artist, and John lived with his brother his whole life. A former student of West, James Dowling Herbert, described West as "A worthy good-hearted man, but of peculiar manner ... smart little dapper man, very voluble in speech and rapid in delivery, used much action – even his features underwent many changes – opening his eyes wide – raising his eyebrows considerably and extending his mouth". West was granted a 2-month leave of absence in July 1774 to study in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Having returned to Dublin, he resigned from the school, but was quickly reinstated to the position. West received annual wages of £100, more than the £60 the other 2 masters of the school received. Despite this, West demanded a pay rise in 1797, citing his 27 years of service. This was denied, and over time his tardiness at work was noted. Between 1770 and 1780, West exhibited at the Society of Artists in William Street 5 times, and again in 1800 and 1801. In 1790, he exhibited 2 portraits at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

. He generally work in crayons and chalks, focusing on figure drawing, portraits, with some historical and religious works. Crookshank and Glin liken his work to mid-18th century French engravings. Strickland calls his work "mechanical".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:West, Robert 18th-century Irish painters 19th-century Irish painters 19th-century Irish male artists Artists from Dublin (city) 1809 deaths National College of Art and Design 1740s births Irish draughtsmen 18th-century male artists