Washington Allston: Poems, Veils, and “Titian's Dirt”

Abstract

AbstractThe 19th-centwy American artist Washington Allston used multiple glaze layers, megilp and asphaltum, and final tonings employing what the artist called “Titian's dirt.” These techniques could cause problems during later cleanings. Allston himself disclaimed authorship of one of his earlier paintings after it was cleaned. His painting The Spanish Maid, his poetry, his palette, and his color theories are also considered, primarily through study of contemporary documents and visual impact.