New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-01
A COSMOPOLITAN ARTIST.
u,rprpr urRKoMER AND HIS WORKS.

| HUBERT HERkOMEh' AND lilo "Ohh''
| ih"o" NV LONDON. September 2.
Mr.. Hubert Herkomer A. X. A., who visits
| America this autumn, comes thither rs nm
| artist of European fame, though scarcely yet IN
| the prime of life. England Is only too proud to
claim him as an English artist. but it Is not exactly
| "a such that he should be ranked lie is cosmo-
politan in the widest sense of the term HIS Tram
| ing. his sympathies his works, and his character
! ali hear testimony to the fact BY birth he is
Ravarion having Grst seen the light in the town OF
WAL Just three-and-thirty years ago. Ills travels
] began early When he was only two years OIL age
| his father a skful wOOd-carver, took ship 10 tue
| United States in hope of finding remunera'Ve
market for his work, but it was then early days Ior
art in America, and thus disappointed, after SIX
Years struggle he returned with his wife ana chnu
70 Europe. and landing in England, established
himself in Southampton. IL Is at this peflod IhaV
| the public first hears of the boy Hubert
| The early wears of his life were characterized by
great delcacy of health and though this prevented
him from working at the usual school tasks OF BOY
of his age his tastes were not backward III thc!r
| development and at tie age of thirteen he hau III
ready decided upon his future career anu entered as
a pupi the Art School Mt Southampton. lie soon
gained n bronze medal and at the end OF three
wears his art education received fresh ana lhpor-
tant stimulus. n1S65, his father. having accepted
n commission TO execute some igures IN the Style III
| Peter Vesschcr, the family removed for time 10
Munich and here the clever boy attracted
the attention of the foremost artists OF the day,
Professor Echter being particularly kind in aiding
| him in his studies The next year the family was
| araln in England. and Mr. fIerkOmer studied for a
| few months ut the South KensingtOn schools, but
returned very shortly afterward to Southampton,
where at the age Of seventeen. he was one OF the
chief promoters of n school for drawing from HE.
Soon afterward, with young artist friends, lie
| opened an exhibition of his own and their works
| The venture prospered and Mr.. Herkomcr received
| the first check for of his works Feeling that
| he might well profit by further instruction. he re-
| turned to London, and in 1867 again joined the
| South Kcnsington School. The want of adequate
fnnds-no uncommon obstacle in the lives Of talented
| artIsts-prevented him. however, from staying
| longer than few months, and the following year
he retired to the small village of Iythe, near south
| ampton and worked hard to paint two pctaIeS.
This was year of severe struggles, but from this
time his public career began. He again started Tor
| London. taking with HIM tine two
| pictures painted at Hythe, one Of
| which a yater-color entitled HocIng." received
the place Of honor at the Spring Exhibition oil tue
Dudley Gallery of So and attracted attention as
| SOC work of so new hand, alth ugh some crl1cs
objected 70 it as composition OH the grouhd tnal
| if was too much scattered About the same time
his first wood block, the rough draft OF the ceic-
brafcd Last Muster" was accepted and published
| by The London Graphic; he was asked to JON the
| staff and soon found an eager demand for MS
black and white work. He then crossed 10 France
| TO see something of the Fanco-Pru sian War, ana
| at Ireforh in Normandy, executed his picture,
| .Reading War News In 1871 he and his friend,
/ Mr. f. j. Gregory. accepted an invitation to JON
| the Institute of Painters in Water Color ana III
| their galleries Mr. Herkomer exhibited some lorci-
| bic ana original little garden scenes fishing scenes
and Others remarkable for their effects OF outdoor
| light Amongst these, "Abend brod, at ne Well"
| and Rest" are perhaps the best remembered 'he
| latter being a charmlugly peaceful picture OF Il
simple scene Tho background Is portion Oh the
| old church at Alderman. which formerly belonged
IN the Abbey of ST. Adams. 1t is an excellent spee-
mon of an old country parish church, a1d contains
several interesting and choice relics such as monu-
mental brosses and eigies dating back 10 the year
100 With its internal interest, however, MI.
IIcrkomer was not concerned He presents us
morally ylrh the view of quiet country church
| and the figure of an old dame who has wandered
within its precincts. seeking rest upon oAo Vi
| the grass grown mounds.
| These pictures of his hands Mr.. Herkomer re-
turned TO his native country, aud there spent SIX
months in sketching; but it was not FOR some
wears that the pictures which we're the outcome OF
the visit were presented to the public Inc largest
two hearing the titles of The Arrest of Poacher:
Bavariau Alps" and d" The PoacheTs Fate" are
now in the possession of Mr.. Fry, the photographers
| In 1873 at the age of twcnty-four the rapidly
risur Young artist exhibited for the first time at
| the ROYAL Academy the picture which gained INN
the distinction being " After the Toll OF the Day
| The scene is n village street at evening On one
| side is an old inn round which congregate the toll
ers of the DAY 10 rest and chat III front Of them
lad drives home flock Of geese at the doorway Of
a cottage appears the figure of young girl spinning
| whilst III room above her is a woman also en-
gagged in some domestic occupations and opposite
between the road and stream which winds through
| the meadow sits girl by well filling her
pitcher with water. The picture was at once a sue
| cess The Art JogrwaI pronounced it foremost
| among the few bright and promising things TO be
| found in Burlington House that season. and some
critics asserted that 1t reminded them fOrcibly of
| tbe Ioto Frederick Walkers best outdoor scenes
Mr. Icrkomer was now fairly launched on the tide
| of success. lie did not, however for that reason
lasten to increase his reputation by the number OF
his pctures but setting before himself high ideal
ofevcel.nce strove to work steadily to realize the
| dreams of his gifted imagination. Thus only
smaller mixtures were exhibited by him the follow
ing year. and those at tho Institute Oh IahterS III
| Water Color and not at the Academy. They were
| entitled Fishing In the Black Forest " The
Ola Gardener The Miller and the Sweep" and
| n fanciful but unfinished sketch entitled FAIRY
| Overturc Two better known works " I'm Wade"
| aud The Gossipsr were exhibited at the Institute
the following season the latter. the picture of two
women engaged in friendly chat over some pal
inrs that divide their adjoining gardens having all
fine strength and richness of an oil painting. This
was the year of Mr.. iIerlomcTs great triumph at
| tbo Academy and sudden rise into fame. The work