Head of a Screaming Man (recto) Woman and Man Playing Cards (verso) , 1792. Benjamin West (American, 1738-1820). Black crayon; sheet: 32.3 x 40.7 cm (12 11/16 x 16 in.). Born in rural Pennsylvania, trained in Italy, and based in London for the entirety of his career, Benjamin West exemplifies the transatlantic character of colonial-era American art. In England, his success as a history painter propelled him to the position of court painter by 1772. Wests study of the head of a screaming man, believed to be done in preparation for a now-lost painting commissioned by King George III (1738-1820), was likely not drawn from life. It was modeled on the ideas of French artist Charles LeBrun (1619-1690), whose lectures on depicting the passions of the soul were surely known to the academic West. Working out the facial expression of terror, West emphasized the musculature of the mans neck, jawline, and brow with thick, emphatic strokes. He employed light brown paper as a midtone and rubbed s