8 JULY 1893, Page 25

The Life and Letters of Washington Allston, By Jared R.

Flagg. (Bentley and Son.)—Mr. Allston was an, artist of American birth who spent a considerable part of his early life in England. He was something of the Hayden type ; but, it may be said, superior on the whole especially in technique. Various repro- ductions of his works are given in the volumes. They are of the impressive kind, which somehow fail to impress. The portraits are more satisfactory. There is a fine likeness of the painter's mother, and another well-known likeness of S. T. Coleridge. There was much friendship between Coleridge and Allston, who knew other men of note in his day. The book is greatly out of proportion to the importance of the subject, but it contains much interesting matter.