Samuel Williams
c. 1817
Washington Allston
Washington Allston (American, 1779–1843)
American Painting and Sculpture
Samuel Williams, c. 1817. Washington Allston (American, 1779–1843). Oil on canvas; framed: 172.5 x 142.5 x 14 cm (67 15/16 x 56 1/8 x 5 1/2 in.); unframed: 142.2 x 111.8 cm (56 x 44 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund 1965.474 Allston’s portrait of his London banker and business agent explores the experience of reverie. Williams
looks off absently, perhaps inspired by the pictures in the book he holds. With its view of an Italianate
landscape beyond the columns of this invented setting, the painting seemingly invites viewers to join
the sitter in dreaming about faraway places. Allston experimented with painting recipes, even attempting to mix his pigment colors with skimmed milk.
looks off absently, perhaps inspired by the pictures in the book he holds. With its view of an Italianate
landscape beyond the columns of this invented setting, the painting seemingly invites viewers to join
the sitter in dreaming about faraway places. Allston experimented with painting recipes, even attempting to mix his pigment colors with skimmed milk.
- Maker/Artist
- Allston, Washington
- Classification
- Painting
- Formatted Medium
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- Framed: 172.5 x 142.5 x 14 cm (67 15/16 x 56 1/8 x 5 1/2 in.); Unframed: 142.2 x 111.8 cm (56 x 44 in.)
- Departments
- American Painting and Sculpture
- Accession Number
- 1965.474
- Credit Line
- Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
- Exhibitions
- Golden Anniversary of Acquisitions, A Cloudy Symbol: Washington Allston in Retrospect, "A Man of Genius": The Art of Washington Allston, Boston, The Athenaeum Gallery: Annual Exhibition (1835), no. 60<br>Boston, Harding's Gallery, Exhibition of Pictures Painted by Washington Allston, (1839) no. 34<br>Boston, The Athenaeum Gallery, Annual Exhibition (1850), no. 62 <br>Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Catalogue of Works of Art Exhibited: Pt. 2, Paintings, Drawings, Engravings, and Decorative Art, (1881) no. 203<br>Detroit, Detroit Institute of Arts, Washington Allston (1948), no. 110<br>Detroit, Detroit Institute of Arts, Collection in Progress (1955), no. 4<br>United States Information Agency, Tour of South America (1956-57), no. 5<br>United States Information Agency, Tour of Greece and Israel (1958), no. 8<br>Milwaukee, Milwaukee Art Center, American Painting 1760-1960, (3 March - 3 April1960), p. 16.<br>Tucson, University of Arizona Art Gallery, American Painting 1765-1963, (1964), illus. pg. 17, cat. no, 2.<br>Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art, Golden Anniversary Acquisitions, (1966), cat. no. 54<br>Coral Gables, Lowe Art Museum, The Paintings of Washington Allston, (6 March - 13 April 1975) cat. no, 17, discussed in text on pg. 9.<br>Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, "Man of Genius" The Art of Washington Allston (1779-1843), (1979) fig. 48, p. 71, discussed in text on pg. 86.
- Rights Statement
- CC0
- Museum Location
- 205 Federal American
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