Benjamin West was born in Springfield, a small Quaker community near Philadelphia, in 1738. His parents operated an inn, and Benjie enjoyed meeting people who came to eat and sleep at the inn. He attended church at the Quaker meetinghouse and during the week went to the church school.

 While still a small boy, Benjie was very observant of rich coloring in nature and early began to demonstrate a talent for drawing. At first, persons accused him of making false images, but the church leaders decided he possessed a God-given talent.

 Benjie used only crude materials in drawing and had no means of coloring his drawings. Finally, two Indian friends, Crooked Foot and Eagle Feather, showed him how to make a few colors out of clay. He clipped hair from the tail of the family cat, Grimalkin, in order to make a brush for painting.

One of the guests who came to the inn was John Pennington of Philadelphia. He sought to encourage Benjie in drawing and sent him some engravings and drawing supplies from Philadelphia. Later he arranged for Benjie to go to Philadelphia to see paintings first-hand and to meet important persons.

 Benjie was encouraged further by an invitation to paint the portrait of a famous citizen of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Later he completed his first famous painting, "The Death of Socrates." He spent a few years studying and painting in Philadelphia and worked briefly in New York.

In 1760, West went to Italy to observe famous old masterpieces and to study under prominent artists. In 1763, he moved to England and later became official historical painter to King George III. He made several famous paintings there and was appointed President of the Royal Academy of Arts.

West is noted for introducing realism into painting. He broke away from traditional methods of showing characters dressed in old fashioned togas, robes, and sandals. In his later years, he taught many young artists from America and today is popularly known as the "Father of American Painting." 

The author of this volume, Dorothea J. Snow, is a popular juvenile author, who has contributed five other volumes to the Childhood of Famous Americans Series. In writing this book, she has manifested artistic charm in portraying the feelings, aspirations, problems, and successes of this early American artist. She has made Benjamin West live again.

From the dust jacket