New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-07-17
The Last Hour. of w ashington Allston.

ing the last hours of this great man. paris ..
which we cannot consent to consider s'flcry
private. The extracts which we give oeio" ~
be read with melancholy pleasurc,--lnsplrlng a
profound regard for the exalted genius anu 0iia
rac.er Of the departed, and still proiouncer sac
ness AT the treat loss his Art and our country
have sustained The circumstances aliehdihg
his last illness the notes OF ms CONVERSATIONS
t,,rnnc mainly upon the arts which had engrossed
his study and his love during hte. his solemn
funeral services. and the information with regard
10 the works he has left behind him, cannot fail
TO be deeply interesting TO all our readers tho
letter, as viii be seen, is from gentleman lntm-
atcIy acquainted with Mr. ALLsr;oN, and most
ardent admircr of his genius and personal cha
ractcr:
BosroS, July H. 1913.
Ny Dear Rnyaoad,-You have Of course re-
ccved the sad news Of the death Of WASHINGTON
A1LsroS but as | know how much you were an
admircr ofhis genius and character, and how many
Of those with whom you arc in daily intercourse
had the same feelings towards him as your own,
have thought it might be grateful to you to hear
something more of the end of such man than
merely that he died, and died suddenly.
Mr.. ALLsroN had a sickness in England about
30 wears since, brought upon HIM by ovcr-labor m
his art, which had nearly proved mortal, but by
the skill Of surgeon especially selected and re-
commended to him by their common Trend
SoUruEY, he was, after years relaxation from
his pursuits, ,neasu-ably rcstorcd-not without
being cautioned however (and with very cues
tionabc judgement in his case as Think that he
never would be d healthy man. 1t was IN refer
encc to this predictions, remember he told me
week or two since, that he had not known entire
health for thirty years Such predictions too
often prove true--t is well if they do not prove
themselves true However this may have been,
those who remember Allston's appearance even
seven years ago, a'ould never have thought OF
hlin as an Invalid. Within SIX years past he has
been visibIy failing in vigor, and for year or two
his decline has been a cause of much painful
anxiety to his friends and his medical adviser.
called upon him about s last Saturday even
inc the 9Th Instant he had been in his studio
perhaps later thanusal that day, and had Just dined
a little after his customary hour. | remember
noticing that he seemed quite feeble, but as had
not seen him before for week or more, and had
been frequently struck with his appearance in that
respect for some time back, | only regretted that
it was not one of his well days. Even this for
got as he fell into his usual delightful manner Of
conveysng; he spoke Of his wish TO visit the new
exhibition at the AthenTum-of his curiosity
about Crawford's new works, and generally OF the
great merit of our American scup tors: their busts
he thought superior to any he had seen when
abroad ! spoke of his own head by Clcvengcr,
and he expressed himself much pleased with the
additional finish that had been given 1t IN the
marble. inquired Of him about his portrait OF
Westin the exhibition, whichis, believe his latest
finished work He told me might rely upon It's
accuracy as likeness, at least | mentioned that
it rave somewhat different impression OF the
man from Lawrence's picture, if we might Judge
oil that from Lcslic's copy. He said the copy was
a very good one-that the original was somewhat
idealzed, this was occasionally the case with
Lawrence, as in his portrait of Davy. He then
went on to speak of West, whom he never men
toned without an expression of high esteem and
affection; he described his appearance, the
peculiar look ofhs eyes raised so as TO see out
from lust under his brows--a habit he fell INTO
from using "a kind of glasses contrlvcd by Nr.
Franklin of which the upper half were for the help
of near sichtcdncss, while the lower were ior the
usual failure OF sight from age. In connection
with some dsparaging criticism on West, winch
was alluded to, lie spoke OF the singular facility
of incompetent persons in passing upon works OF
art, who would not think of DONG the same thing
in matters of science or professional learning
What." said he, "woud gentlemen OF your pro-
lcsslon think if should happen INTO Court while
his Honor was delivering an opinion and should
undertake 10 override it or criticise it among
the bystandcrs Art is indeed, IN some sense,
an imitation of Nature, but 1t Is not every one
who has seen natural objects that is competent
to Judge OF art; besides, how few truly sec
nature
have set down these things not so much for
! their value as compared with Allstons general
conversation on these topics, as that thcywerc the
last words uttered by the hrst artist OF the age on
the subject OF his profession.
Hen Mr. Allson about quarter past at the tea
table in cheerful conversation with his wife and
three ladies OF the family. who Glanced, by sort
OF melancholy fortune, as the event proved, to be
spending the night at his house. remember too
that as he asked his usual blessing over the meal
his voice was so feeble as TO be almost lnaudlble
bu, as this has been not infrequent with hun OF
late, it did not at the time give me uneasiness.-
! Five hours after that was called from the city
to find hun in the same room a corpse.
learn that he continued convcrsing as usual