Allston, Washington 1779-1843.
US painter of sea- and landscapes, a pioneer
of the Romantic movement in the USA with. His
handling of light and colour earned him the
title `the American Titian'. He also painted
classical, religious, and historical
subjects. Allston was born in South Carolina
and educated at Harvard. He travelled widely
in Europe, making contact and sharing ideals
with the Romantic set in Britain, including
the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge. He
apprenticed himself to Benjamin West and
laboured over historical paintings in West's
manner without much success. Once settled in
the USA, he produced poetic, moody and
visionary scenes, such as The Moonlight
Landscape 1819 (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston).