The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-02
WILLIAM BRADFORD DEAD.
Close OF the Career of an Eminent
Popular Artist.

Close OF the Career of an Eminent and
Popular Artist.
William Bradford, the artist, who was
we'll known in this city, having occupied a
studio in the Palace Hotel for many
months. died in the New York hospital last
Monday. His death. says the New York
Herald, followed an attack of apoplexy,
which overcame him on Saturday morning
in his studio at 96 Fifth avenue.
Bir. Bradford was born in New Bedford
Of Quaker parentage in 1927. He began
active life on board a whaling vessel, and
after q few voyages settled down in his
native place as a coal dealer. While in this
business he began to paint, making a spe-
cialty Of water views and scenes around
New Bedford hsrbor. Among the artists of
30 years ago, who frequented Fairhaven, a
suburb Ct New Bedford, was the foreign
marine painter, Van Beest. Under Ills
directions Bradford improved rapidly and
to such purpose that about tho year 1854 he
decided TO embrace art as a profession.
With Van Beest he made several excursions
along the rocky shores of Nova Scotia and
Labrador, thus obtaining a taste for Arctic
scenery. His pictures Of the far north were
so we'll received by the public that he
made several trips to the Arctic regions
with DR.. Hayes, the explorer The results
were such that Bradford chartered a
vessel CT his own and went as high
as the fifty sixth degree in search
Of novel scenes. In all he spent
about seven years in the Arctic regions
finding new art material where others had
sought only adventure or blubber. His
pictures offered scenes so novel and curious
that they at once attracted attention.
He represented an aspect Of nature almost
| unknown-the terr0rs Of the north, the
crushing of ships in the resistless Ice packs.
the mountainous icebergs Of the polar seas,
the phOsphorescent CLEAN of the Arctic
night, the cherries blaze Of the midnight
sun lighting up endless and silent wastes OF
icy desolation-such were the scenes por-
trayed in Bradford's best-known pictures
Of 20 years ago. He had much merit as a
realst and showed no small technical skill
in rendering successfully the strange
Arctic lights and atmospheres, the color
of the mournful cliffs, the drifting ice noun
tains and the ice cry stais, with their hues
of emerald and sapphire.
The chief encouragement that Bradford
received at the outset OF his career as a
painter came from England. The Queen of
England, the Earl of Gr0svenor. the Roth
schilds and other wealthy European art
patrons bought his pictures and made him
known. The Marquis OF Lorne bought his
Crushed by the Icebergs," and his
STEAMER Panther Among Icebergs in Mel
vile Bay Under the Light of the Midnight
Sun" was exhibited at the Royal Academy
in 1875 by command OF her Majesty, TO
whom it was presented by the paint
er. Although chiefly known for his
Arctic views, Mr.. Bradford produced
many pictures of our Pacific Coast
and of the Yosemite Valley. Among
the pictures he exhibited at the New York
National Academy, "a Fresh Breeze off
Sandy Hook" and "Harbor View at sam
set were shown in 1866; in 1861. View Of
Northern Head at Sunrise in the Bay of
Fundy," "Vew near Quebec, Wreck off
Nantucket and After storm; in 1864,
in 1865. Wreck off ST. johns; in 1874
Labrador"
In New York Messrs. c. p Huntington
and w. Ii. Hayemeyer owned several Of
Bradford's paintings. Mr.. Bradford be-
longed to the Century Club and was an as
socate member of the Academy of DESIGN
He leaves a widow and one daughter,