Allston, Washington (1779-1843), was one of the first American artists to paint in a Romantic style. He became famous for imaginative, dramatic works, many of which had supernatural themes.
Allston based many of his early paintings on the Bible and other literature. One of his finest early pictures was the Biblical work The Dead Man Revived by Touching the Bones of the Prophet Elijah (1813). Allston also painted idealized landscapes. He later abandoned elaborate and dramatic themes and concentrated on simpler subjects, particularly graceful, dreamlike women in dim landscapes. Allston’s Moonlit Landscape (1819) and other night scenes are noted for their delicate tones. Allston died before completing his last major painting, Belshazzar’s Feast, which he began in 1817.
Allston was born on Nov. 5, 1779, in Georgetown County, South Carolina. In 1801, he went to London, where he studied with the American painter Benjamin West. While in Europe, Allston came into contact with English romantic literature and paintings by Venetian artists of the 1500’s that influenced his best work. Allston returned to the United States in 1818. He died on July 9, 1843.
