Washington Allston 1847

This bronze portrait medallion of Washington Allston was crafted by Peter Paul Duggan at an unknown date in the 19th century. Allston, a painter and writer, was a significant figure in the American Romantic movement. The medallion, with its classical profile and careful detail, speaks to the institutional desire to memorialize important figures from the cultural sphere in the United States at that time. The decision to render Allston in bronze recalls ancient Greek and Roman portraiture, thus associating Allston with the great artists and intellectuals of classical antiquity. This was a moment of institution building in the U.S., with museums and art academies striving to create a canon of American art. To truly understand an artwork like this, it’s important to consider the social and cultural values that informed its creation. In this case, we can analyze exhibition records and art criticism to understand the context in which Allston’s legacy was being shaped.