New-York tribune., 1881-07-18

out their IDEAS. On the walls arc hung few pic
lures, sketches and photographs, and on an easel
s,ands-lacking the finishing touches of the artists
brush--a landscape by the late ID. O. Hill. On
pedcstals are arranged few busts, specimens
OF Mrs lIls work, including those of Burns,
Carlyle and Shelley the latter far idealized
that the likeness of the poet at once brings up the
rol of poetry, the golden-hared Apollo. Mrs. Hill
Is great lover of pets and her fancics in that
spcct by limited anything between
dog and 3liNy alligator coming within the range
of her symplhies The first fayoritcs at present
par OF Inarmozct monkeys, ana the "dear
little creatures" are objects of great solictudc in
this wintTy weather. The tiny foreigners have
noble competitors FOR the foremost place in their
miStrcSS's affections, in two noble dogs-nastiil-
dccrhounds-which occasionally ohtiudc their
shaggy presence III the studio, and in unusually
handsome and placablc cat. The dogs are the
guardians of the house, and, let it he added they
treat the love and confidence of the household as
sacred deposit, and have canine ways OF command
ing the respect of strangers.
And what of the personality Of the heal of the
tablshm, NJ, LIT i'll not too comp plimentary fashion
70 tn" last II may he plead thai, like many other
ladies' il is not easy to convey an idea. u; once
rect and adequatn of onr sculptor. The setting is
SHOW npon paper the fash of the sapphire, it might
still not BE- possible oconvcy the impression created
by the inspired fash of large blue eye, light
varying almost nstantaneouSly from hrilliaucy to
steady glow, rs the current of thought changes.
Picture a lady of about medium height, of full
of age, with wealth of white hair worn in
careless fompadour fashion, with fine forehead and
generally good features and open expression of
countenancc standing with clay-soilcd hands be-
fore the model of statue of Robert Burns, and YOU
will have an oulin" of Mrs. ID. O. Hill AZ saw her
on last entering her studio ccytaia statcliness Of
bearing is the basis of free and pleasant manner.
character, tempered or shaded hy inevitable minan
we9hn 5scs, in grasp of thought breadth of view,
and dlgniHcd Independence Mrs. Hill bears that
within herself which leads 10 wish she were
daughter of our Republic. Away from the cralnp,,
hedge woman in on every side, such charactrr as
hers would undoubtedly have reached still fuller
have led even richer harvest Of artistic cndcavor
than that which, rich AZ it unquesonably il, is be-
ing gathered here.
AN ARTISTS UPHILL WORK.
Mrs. Hill was born in Dunnfermline ana ut an
early age displayed marked proclivity FOR sketch
ing ana modelling She does not know when She
began to draw. The taste grew with her and her
early attempts were directed toward making pro-
files OF her friends in pencil Her first trial of model
ing was bas rclief profile in made at abou, the
age of eighteen. Her second work was similar
likeness of Lord and Lady Cunningham also in
wax. The course thus begun was followed for a
year or two, and among these wax lkencsses were
those of her brother Noel and her future husband
ID. q. Hnl The former her first subject for I,
bust IN clay. The circumstances of its production
well worth narrating Noel had been in London
and, on returning, brought with him bust of
Shelley executed by Mrs. Leigh Hunt and pre-
sented to Noel by Mrs. Shelley bearing some kind
OF resemblance To himself. Amelia thought she
codld improve upon it. and on Noel encouraging by
saying doubt she had audacity enough to try
it," II beginning was,made. A mass of cay was
carried INTO The parior, and with breakfast knife
and her fingers Amelia undertook to model il into
Likeness of her brother. Mark the difficulties
The subject would not sit the artist did know
hGT a TO sUdon nd tnS cay nad & no toos no turning
unll the greater part of the difficulty had been met
and the likeness began to come out, did Noel recnt
| and allow his sister to take measurements 1t was
| years aftcrward That Amelia visited Edinburgh
say how ocglptors work and got her first turning,
out so well that plaster east was taken of it, and
it was Mrs Hills first work in sculpture, and WAS
executed when she was only twenty years of age,
anyone might have been forgiven for predicting for
the artist brilliant career. 1t does not appear
that such possibility suggested itself to those
about her Her efforts would seem have been re
rartod as a kind of pastimc, oddly chosen for
young lady, but quite harmless. Female talent was
something not demanding serious thought or any
sort Of cncouragcment and, accordingly some years
| elapsed before Amelia took in hand any further
work in sculpture. She sketched continually in
pencil, but thirty years had passed over her head
before she finished in Noels housr in Edinburgh her
| first work in marble. a bust of John Fergus of
Kirkcaldy. Other busts including one of Lady
itIgln aud one OF Dr Candlish, were executed in
rapid succ' SsiOn and in 1862 the artist was mar
iicd L" d. o. lillian event no less happy than
tnnnate' as It Tem9yed many of the distractions III
the way OF Mrs. Hills cultivation of art.
CLOSED DOORS AT TIE ACADEMY
Let 1t be borne i'll mind that without any help Of
any kind III the form Of lessons. facilities for study
or instruction III even the mechanical part of her
profession, Mrs. Hin has worked her way through
life, and her indomitable character will be better
understood in connection with what follows II
Will he seen that the Incorporated artists of Scot
land showed very little sympathy with a sister
worker in their own field. For many years Mrs
Hill fulfilled, by supporting the annual exhibitions
OF the Royal Scottish Academy with works in scup-
ture all the conditions required of artists seeking
admission to that body. tell the story as nearly as
possible in her own words. At first she didnot think
| of anything more than honorary membership but
was led to take different view of the matter when
| her colossal statue of DR.. Livingstone was on ex-
hIbltIon in the Academy. On entering the gallery
! one day Mrs. Hill was met by one of the members
| OF the Academy with sundry complimentary
speeches about the Livingstone and these were fol-
lowed by remark made to Sir john Stccll who was
standing near by, we must have Mrs d. o. Hill
| made n member of the Academy" Mrs. Hill remon-
strated that it only honorary membership she had
any right to aspire TO- but Sir John with characters
tic suavity, assured her she had worked for full mem
| bership. Her husband was well aware that ehc
really had worked for membership as few of those
whose names stood upon the roll had done, and he
very naturally concnrred in Sir John Secls obscr
| vaton that she should be admitted as "a full mem
the associates list Had a thunacr
| bolt fallen among =, the members they
could hardly have been thrown into greater con
sterhation lhe reason lies somewhere below the
surface as in point Of fact there at the time
| two lady members of the Academy When the mat
ter came up for discussion, not manneithcr the
| complimentary speech-maker Sir John Steel-
supp"rtcd the Application, and felt more deeply
outraged by II Than the applicants brothers. In The
shall he men OF fair moral character" and that fatal
wOrd men c4uld not by any means be 80 con-