King Lear and Cordelia
1793
Imagine the most heartbreaking scene from Shakespeare's 'King Lear' frozen in time. Here, the loyal daughter Cordelia, dressed in stark white, kneels to comfort her mad, elderly father who looks up in a daze. Benjamin West, an American artist who became a superstar in London, painted this in 1793. You can see the drama in the deep shadows and the bright red fabrics swirling around them, typical of the Neoclassical style which loved grand, emotional storytelling. Fun fact: West was so famous in Britain that he became the second president of the Royal Academy, taking over the role from Joshua Reynolds!
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