, 1876-01-30
THE FINE ARTS.
phi1;p Gilbert Hamerton, Artist
and Writer---HiS Early
Life.
What He Has Accomplished as
Painter and Etcher.
eoeanough's Statue Of John Winthrop,
at Boston.
Interesting Notes and Gossip from the
Studios at Chicago Artists.

Studios at Chicago Artists.
ARI-WRlTERS.
pHuAp du-BEnT BAMERToN.
Hsxt TO III. Rustp. the best-kaoun wxter in
roe1,sh noon subjects connected With 1ns art, is
,ov undoubtedly Philip Gilbert Hatnerton. Mr.
u.,oer+nus first published work appeared when
=. WI rery young. in 1855. hud was not con-
.a<t,a Bish Ena art, but Of purely literary
~h,r,etet.-s poem called 'Ths Isles OF Loeb
Ixan Ten yea1s later las Exa known to persons
ntsrested in the study OF practice OF art through
nr,cr,ous reviews end one Or two books upon
sn,eia}tes hut it wzs not until 1878. when. = Tho
.rntslJeotual Life" Wis published. that be be-
rama known to the general residing public At
.,...t in this country. This book, though bea<-
mo T.. titl4 somewhat poftsntlous to most people,
,,dtc,tise Of metaphysical character, contains
an much that IL Of practical value to students
md writer's, and seekers Of cultivation generally,
nd in "a frankly based on the xuthor's Own ex-
,,e,ianesx that it hAa interested everybody in
ii. persoo aud his worka Hamerton, althouch
h. has for several years lived in France, ia
xn t17kshman descended from famous old
Yon1saxAE FAMILY OF HAAkxross,
who frequently figured in years gone By either
- patricia OF rebels (much the sArac thing IN
Fnrland 800 OF 400 years Aso). and who atlll hold
= xhsttIemented touex in Craven. There ia the
h1ood Of pourbons and Plant4genets Ia the FAM
liz and. altogether, Hamerton's start in life, or
bafore lite, u 81 Englishman, was favorable.
His father nas Issyer OF respectable stand
fng xnd stteinmenss and his mother the daugh-
tss Of 4 eotton-manutacturer. Hsmerton was
bozn Seps. 10, 1854, and is consequently little
ever Il veAyn old His mother died soon after
e. birth, And he WAS committed to the care Of
In patesnai aunts. He early developed 1epng-
....pce to the dead Languages, aud although be
.xote prize poem in the school At Barnlev. ~as
% backward in Lstin and Greek thst it Vas
iooad necessary, 10 order to prepare him for tho
University, thst ho should spend year upon
thtss languages alone under tulor. Upon this
<eas be seems to have entered With docilitT, bat,
befo.e il hza expired, his inclination towards
ina art bad become 70 etrong thxt, instaad Of
going u the University. ha wont into
FErru1s STUDIO Il LONDON.
The few iotet1enipE ye4rs betor> be casns Of
age were spent in this studio and 1t the louee
Of IN unele in the midst Of the besutiful scenery
of lancashire, and in 1856 he published the
poam spoken of abovo, and went to Paris to
ttpiy French art- Here be u1sde the intimate
acquaintsncs OF Lealje. William WILD. aud other
vel-noxn paiateka. 4 fas yeats later hs pub
f6hed
~rz rAxzxa*s caxr x rHx HaH1Asns"
which gives fascinating account OF = part OF
what he had bsen doing meanwhile, his life in
movabla camp during tcurs for sketnhing from
nature Il xas tho very poetry OF camping. for
Mr- Hamerton, With great mechanical ingenuity
and evident disregard ct expense, cont1iyed I
remarkable tent q booth Of wood and canvas.
with large plateElAss windows, carpet, and al
eurts of comforts, wherein he could paint At his
Is&sue IN Any weather., and which could readily
be packed up spd transported in q carr. It may
be unmarked that Mr.. Hamerton h1s always had
the Advantage Of abundant means. How great
AwM R-1 AL
leesual Development be points oui himself
Ia his "1ntellectual L1fe," lnstancing
Goethe md Rnskin, Hhose work would have
been impossible Without it, and no doubt but
foF the appearances Of egotla1n he would have
added himself "a An example. At ~ Hamerton
married French lady, the daughter Of H. Pred
eric Gindtiez- H. Gindriex was . member OF
tbs National Assembly FROM the Department Of
6aone ct Loire. and resigned Under the 1ast Ms
poleonio regime on account Of his Republican
sympethies. It is in this Department, at Autuu,
that Hamerton and his family are now living.
HRS RAHERToN
is person Of literary tastes, entering fully into
her husbands pursuits- This 1t is the more it,
tsgestioK TO know. because in one OF bis chap
ters on "a Women aud Marriage" Mz. Hanerton
points out that for u literary man or 40 artist
theirs are but two sorts Of women that viii make
satisfactory wivee,-either ladies - highly cu]ti-
Tated rs tlemeelvea or coptented1y ignorant
(hut sniable apd efficiently momen; 1nsdi-
VEl1k$ WILL Ipk Ill., EuI%AQ8@E4| AAhAl-
erton found = wife OF the former class
They have several children For the last twelve
yeAra the family has been in Autun, having
previously lived foE time 1t Sens. During the
former period M1. Hauerton painted landscapes
nd exhibited in the Royal Academy, and he has
a1wa5s kept up his fine~art practice. As \ land
sape painter be ranks well, and some Of hls
pickurea-" Kitchnrn Castle,'' t'The River
Yonne," "sens from the Vineyards" etc.-are
veil known in England; but it is highly pzoba~
bic, With his definite theoretical bottoms OF art,
and his interest in the effort to initiate peculiar
and uncommon effects IN nature, that bis land-
scapea are nos easiy iute!llgtbte to the ordinary
ere, and go not popular. This. however, il only
s1fmase, based partly upon the fact that the
pictures Of naa Of so high intellectual quality
md such eonscentlousuesa in technical Practice
are only to!esably we'll known and not famous,
md partly upon the general tenor Of his own
VIKINGS upon landscape painting. Hamerton's
Afs, Ike that OF most writers and artists has
fsw striking events bis years being marked
p<iucipa1ly By the
LADpEs-
For three yeals NJ. Haaertoa acted as art critic
Tor the Saturday. Reriezo, and he has contributed
also to the Fsne-Art Quarterly. the Cor7ltitL the
fou Nal Gazette, Old dnd Ne1u, and other En-
ssa Ss tsa nd 4s.eaa tn1e.znes Up t. 49,
7ollosing books By Hameston had appeared:
"Ihe Painters Camp" 81 Thoughta About Art"
"Nendetholme "a novel, in three volumes),
!" Etching and Etchers, " Contemporary French
Painters ~ Painting in Franco Altar the Decline
ot Classiciam," "The Unknonn River" and
- Etcher's Handbook Since 1878, Mr: Hamer-
Ton has published "Chaptezs About Animals"
hsss5 B|ount" T. }uvenile). '4The Sylvan
aen. and (veEy recently) Z new edition OF
Etenane and Etchers"; and some new books
~ts s;o nos promised from bin industrious pan.
=. e4aee Anso danaefton has had al organ " for
sue s4pteeaon Of hin yiews Of Aoe-afs matters,
u re 1oIm Of monthly journal, Of which last
meeA AGaon thoughs it not too m1lch tn s.y.
tast> AmonR Eogian nj pelol;cslt ths PM.
Io'ao u 30 easily the f1st thar ii il ;aienlt n n
proper eNthssa for It except thoea that xnn1d
seen 70 be meant for the ideal ~ ;n,.~;ns-v
organ OF perfect artisso criticism. y 4ansr.nn's
speciality ii art is q
ETCHING ON COPPER.
ae not only practices etching oontont,v Int
tho books he has published arc The bost snrhor;.
ties upon the subject Etching and rtcherz- :
, very beautiful book, both pop11nr and techn,-
cal now ont OF print but about to be rennh1shad
and the " Etcher's Handbook" )" such NJ H. ,,.ss.
indicatee,-And he issues in each nu5nber ~ ~
Portfolio TWO etchings BY eminent bands.
It would probably be hard to lind another MN
who 80 thoroughly ezempli6es the 1esulrs to be
achieved by dehbe1ste careful, and systematic
training Of ali his qualities Tor long course Of
5ea1a- HameEton appears to have been endowed
oaturs1ly With rather superior, but not eminent.
r brilliant, qualities. He hiss accomplished, for
bis a2e, IN immense amount Of work Il ia said