Artwork
Washington Allston
Washington Allston is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Richard Morrell Staigg. It dates from 1841 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A tiny watercolor portrait of a man with a high forehead, gray hair, and a serious look, in a dark coat and white cravat. It is painted on a thin slice of ivory, which glows when light passes through. Richard Morrell Staigg made it in 1841, the year the sitter, Washington Allston, died.
Technique & Style
As a portrait, the piece portrays Washington Allston as its main subject, reflecting the genre’s focus on individual likeness.
The work is a watercolor portrait painted on ivory support in 1841 by Richard Morrell Staigg. It measures roughly 9 by 7.1 units and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it appears in the American Wing collection. As a portrait, the piece portrays Washington Allston as its main subject, reflecting the genre’s focus on individual likeness.
The composition and handling of the watercolor medium contribute to a delicate rendering of facial features and attire, characteristic of early‑19th‑century American portraiture.
History & Provenance
The watercolor portrait titled Washington Allston was executed in 1841 by American artist Richard Morrell Staigg. Executed on ivory, the work measures 9 × 7.1 cm and falls within the portrait genre, depicting the subject Washington Allston. It is classified in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains in the museum’s collection.
The painting’s creation history is documented through its medium and dimensions, confirming a single commission likely intended as a likeness of the sitter. Its provenance is limited to its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s American art holdings.
The watercolor portrait of Washington Allston, executed by Richard Morrell Staigg in 1841, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Classified within the museum's American Wing, the work depicts the artist Allston as its main subject. While the specific accession number is not provided in the available records, the object is cataloged with a height of 9 inches and a width of 7.1 inches.
The provided sources do not contain information regarding a specific exhibition history or previous ownership provenance for this portrait, limiting the historical record to its current institutional location and physical description.
Overview
Richard Morrell Staigg's 1841 watercolor on ivory presents a miniature likeness of Washington Allston. This small-scale portrait captures the American painter and poet with a direct gaze, reflecting the prevalent style for intimate depictions in mid-19th-century Boston. The work serves as a concise visual record of a significant cultural figure, created in the final year of his life.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts Washington Allston, a notable American painter and poet. Staigg portrays him with a high forehead, gray hair, and a serious expression, dressed in a dark coat and white cravat. This unadorned presentation emphasizes Allston's intellectual gravitas, a fitting tribute in the year of his death. The directness of the image aligns with the tradition of capturing a subject's essential character.
Context
Richard Morrell Staigg, an English-born artist active in Boston during the 19th century, created this portrait in 1841. The timing is notable, as it was completed in the year of Washington Allston's passing. Such small, personal portraits were popular in Boston's social and artistic circles, often commissioned to commemorate individuals or mark significant life events, serving as cherished mementos.
Artist & collection
Artist
Richard Morrell Staigg (7 September 1817 Leeds, England - 11 October 1881 Newport, Rhode Island) or R.M. Staigg was a portrait painter in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 19th century.
