Gallery Edition – Mary Bethel Boude (Mrs. Samuel Boude) by Benjamin West – 44×53 Interior Architectural Study

Curatorial Narrative Benjamin West’s “Mary Bethel Boude (Mrs. Samuel Boude)” is a paradigm of mid-eighteenth-century portraiture, exemplifying the artist’s mastery of fine brushwork and his nuanced understanding of classical and Baroque design principles. Painted between 1755-1756, this work embodies the era’s fascination with aristocratic elegance, as West captures the subject’s refined features and luxurious attire with a precision that borders on the miniature. The golden tones of her dress, offset by flashes of white and red, evoke a sense of sumptuousness, while the subtle blue undertones in the background imbue the composition with a sense of depth and atmosphere.When scaled up to 44×53, this portrait assumes an architectural presence that harmonizes exquisitely with luxury interior environments. The chromatic structure, anchored by the golden hue, generates a spatial rhythm that resonates with rich materials such as velvet, s