New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-25
AN AGED ARTIST AT HOME
NV WITH ASHER b. DIJRAND.

THE ARTIsr-HIs FAMOUS PICTURES AND MS
HONORABLE PANE.
.. ~, Edttor Of The Tribune.
SIR: One of the pleasantest visits u was
xe, my fortune 70 make upon man OF note was mace
o., -. 400 and the person visited was Asher b.
Ioprand The GROWING charm OF the occasion WAS Tue
,act that found him. the oldest OF American painters
now living In delightful home, and sitting IN 'he '"i
Nsbt Of his earthly IN perfect comfort anu pe"o
The seutle manners and kindly smiles when nave
aused him 10 be loved by so many friends IN o,ne'
ysas were only enhanced by his advanced age ana as
ooed the story OF IFS life and his rare achievements
7 was most deeply impressed with all that saw ana
heard. ,s
The residence OF Nj Durand is in the town OF Jeher-
~ south Orange N j., where he was born
August o. 1896 Prior to 1859 he had spent most OF
NJ, NE In New-York City; and when his residence on
,,o,,v-st became uncomfortable as home under the
ness pressure OF the time, he parted with that prop
.r4v and removed 10 his native town. Inc mousse III
which his father man OF French blood, hveo was US
stroved by fire many years ago, and the present aalo
was az his own building and the thirty acres OF ahu SUI
rounding it, and stir covered with many neauul 'Iees
have been in his family for than hundred years
~ house "a chArulingly arranged I'm all It's parts ana
Tho walls OF the library and drawing rooms the mans an"
chambers and the studio Of the artist a. wen n 'o
dr,n,roou are all covered with pictures But OF mort
tnnortance than all this the usual presence under 'S
one roof OF the four surviving children of the
,,,s, too dsabfers and -one or the st'ef'
however being now an Europe The active head OF 'He
,opse Il Mr. John Durand With that gentleman ma"
nleasapt conversation before being presented 10 DIS
T,nar and though told that his health was perfectly
GOOD but that his memory was beginning 10 oe IN
stvorthv could not during my protIacted visit
s,ver any sign that his mind not perfectly clear
ON tepr ushered into his presence. as he sat IN his
library I'm a large, comfortable chair, with WeaIth OF
rirated books all around him. and as saw his bright
eyes, white hair and no"ius Deaiu' was IeHino0o
M - he nj patriarClS.
TIA cave me a cordial greeting and began at once 10
.k about old times He alluded to my first attempt az
painting hickory tree from nature, when was virtu-
~ his pupn among the Catsk Mountains. at the time
when be began TO produce that series o. studies OF
.onerv ,pon which his fame landscape painter
- seonrely founded when told him that his picture
r. Edge of tine Forest a favOI1te IN the Cor
o,an Gallery he seemed greatly pleased, aud when
,fored him EOtts portrait OF himself was IN the
.e Gallery he was surprised, and then questioned NE
about the collection generally. With regard to the
1,,,nch- American school Of landscapes now IN
,,o IN Nev-York he did not seem to be folly
coated but he knew enough TO characterize 1t
according TO its questionable merits. When l
.uraed 10 several OF HIS old associates IN the
national Academy, who had not made any great ad-
,oneeneut in the last twenty years, his reply was
poor fellows, they couldn't help itbut they meant
III In sDcaling of the trees surrounding his house,
Ia mentioned them in loving spirit-but they were
ZOO numerous; he had however enjoyed walk In their
,hadoys every day during the summer just ended
Aner some further talk about mutual friends and old
times and fearing tire him with my presence made
c+irn n depsrt when he said nO-and Offering me his
am insisted upon my joining him at lunch Afcr that
resnt repast he turned over TO his son with the
,emark John viii show you the pictures, II ycu
Kond ike 10 see them" and left the old man alone III
his glory.
our arst visit was the studio. which Is IN the second
story and 40 large as 70 compass the whole width Of the
house Upon its walls hung not less than one hun
deed Of the artists famous Studies from nature which
he had never been willing TO part with similar cot-
lection in character and numbers was sold st auction
short ten years ago. at prices ranging from $500 TO
$500 number OF the reserved pictures were painted
a. time when it was my privilege to much Of the
s-tts,'s manner OF working and l remember that he
generally devoted part Of two days 10 each picture,
limiting himself the morning or afternoon OF each Day
according 10 effects resulting from sun and shadow
sayenl of them were pointed out TO me as being special
.o,sa with the artist and noticed that all Of these
- Of large trees with their trunks strong AID messy
pioIred against the sky lying PROSTATE across the
foreground of rocky rampant or in the midst Of a
verus scene On his easel stood the last complete pie
r that he had produced ID 1873 and though not equal
IN those painted when his hand was IN Its prime, II Wi
f,u of poetry The very last work that he executed
VIII the mcneil was in 1850 when he hlled in the fore
upd OF two OF his studies, and when ne made the re-
max to his John Well. my hand VIII not obey
nv impulses and It IS time should stop From that
% his studio were few and far between and most OF Ms
dime was then speut in reading in the quiet Of his
hrs-v or wandering about his house or In the sur
roundng grounds as idle but happy spectator OF a
that might attract hts attention In addition 10 the
.tndcs already mentioned his studio contained many
other picures Of interest notably two small landscapes
t no panied before abandoning the grayer aud sew
ol later productions which had been engraved, but
which for private he had retained In bis pos
session
passing from the studio 10 the Various Dher rooms OF
the house found that while his productions pre-
i,oted there were still to be seen many pictures by
mon of note with whom he mad been intimate in former
v4ars Those from his hand which greatly pleased
me we're the three studies from nature which were ex
hibted az the Centennial Exposition in 1876 and me
portrait a one OF his daughters painted when she W"s
cbua-a beautiful and mastery production Among ms
gems nv old friends was the original sketch OF the Dream
Of Arcadia by Thomas Cole presented 10 him by the
rainter In the library l noticed q charming wafer
color from the pencil Of John G. Chapman when pre-
spted 70 MI Drrand IN 1917, in return FOR Of his
own pictures given me in the same year II repre-
,e,ted Lady With her Page and DOG" and Is one OF
fe best things executed by the friend OF Pocahontas
In appropriate places also hung many hnc engraV
ins after Turner andseer and others and among them
copy Of the artists own AIiadne after FandeTlyh
ono ~ the finest specimens Of line engraving
eeuted in the United states This painting was pur-
chased Of Yanderlyn by DurAnd for $500. He kept
q in possession for twenty years and then sold II 10
Joseph Harrison OF Philadelphia FOR $1,000.
During the run ning conversation that had with Mr
John Draud alluded 10 his fathers remarkable health
and WAS told that he belonged 10 family noted for Il,
longevity; that he had .aways been entirely temperate
IN his eating and drinking and that his only trouble
was old age my queries soon branched on into the
story OF his professional fe and the substance OF my
gleanings As follows;
His father was y French Protestant who came tC
America for religious freedom and matchmaker by
occupation The gifted fond OF using the pencil
even in childhood and his first attempts at real wori
were 20 cut Ornamental designs slverware. In 1912