Art in America; a critical and historical sketch . of was a favorite pursuit of our early artists. Some ofour best portraits have been done by that means; but among all who havefollowed it in the United States none have excelled Malbone, althoughsome, like John Fraser, of South Carolina, have been very clever at succeeded in giving character to his faces to a degree unusual in min-iature; while the coloring was rendered at once with remarkable delicacy,purity, and fidelity. His best works are probably the likeness of RayGreen, and the exquisitely beautiful g
Art in America; a critical and historical sketch . of was a favorite pursuit of our early artists. Some ofour best portraits have been done by that means; but among all who havefollowed it in the United States none have excelled Malbone, althoughsome, like John Fraser, of South Carolina, have been very clever at succeeded in giving character to his faces to a degree unusual in min-iature; while the coloring was rendered at once with remarkable delicacy,purity, and fidelity. His best works are probably the likeness of RayGreen, and the exquisitely beautiful group called the Hours, which iscarefully preserved in the Athenaeum at Providence. With the general public the name of no American artist of that timeis probably more widely known than that of Washington Allston. Heowes this in part, doubtless, to the fact that as a writer he also becameidentified with the literary circle at that time prominent in Eastern Massa-chusetts. He was born in 1779, at Waccamaw, South Carolina. Sent at 32 ART IX THE HOURS -[K. Gr. MALBOXE.] ORIGINAL SIZE. seven years of age to Newport, both for health and instruction, he livedthere ten years; and very likely associated with Malbone, and perhaps metStuart there. Subsequently Allston visited Italy, and then settled in London, wherehis talents received snch ample recognition as to gain him the position ofAcademician. The mistake of his art-life—although it was perhaps ad-vantageous to his fame at home—was probably his return to the UnitedStates while yet in his prime. The absence of influences encouraging toart growth, and of that sympathy and patronage so essential to a sensitive EARLY AMERICAN ART. 33 nature like that of Allstons, had a blighting effect on his faculties; andthe many years he passed in Boston were years of aspiration rather thanachievement. Aliston has suffered from two causes. Overrated as an ar-tist in his clay, his reputation is now endangered from a tendency to awardhim
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectart, bookyear1880
