Vagabond Family 1788

This drawing of a ‘Vagabond Family’ was made by Benjamin West in 1793. Its seeming simplicity speaks volumes about artistic institutions in late 18th century Europe. West was an American expatriate who found fame in London as a painter of grand historical subjects. He was also President of the Royal Academy. In that role he was responsible for the teaching and training of new generations of artists. ‘Vagabond Family’ may reflect West’s academic interests, exploring the conventions for depicting the poor, but with a simplicity of line that anticipates later developments in British art. By titling the work ‘Vagabond Family’ West asks us to consider the social realities of poverty and displacement in Britain. Records in the archives of workhouses and criminal courts may reveal the stories of some of those who were seen as vagrants. West’s work reminds us that art is always enmeshed in the social conditions of its making.