Artwork
Samuel Williams
Samuel Williams is an oil painting by Washington Allston. It dates from 1817 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Samuel Williams is a painting by Washington Allston, executed on canvas in 1817. It is part of the collection at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays a seated man, dressed formally in a brown jacket and white cravat, holding a book. The setting, a room with a table and an arched window, suggests a portrait of a literate individual, possibly a scholar or gentleman.
Technique & Style
The artist employed chiaroscuro to create depth and dimension, using contrasts of light and shadow to draw attention to the subject. A range of colors, from deep browns to lighter tones, adds to the painting's visual complexity.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Washington Allston spent his life chasing the glow of stories more than fame. Born in South Carolina, he studied law at Harvard before the itch to paint pulled him across the Atlantic to London. There he fell in with…
![A Study from Life [and] Study for Angel Releasing Saint Peter from Prison, by Washington Allston](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/washington-allston--a-study-from-life-and-study-for-angel-releasing-saint-peter--13db111bb86c178e-w320.webp)
