New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-07

Paris. Nov. G.-ihi.lp Gilbert Hamorton. the Eng
,!eh artist ana litterateur. died at Boulogne-sur-
Seine yesterday, aged sixty years.
In the absence of any more detailed than
thai given in the above dispatch it mus; be as
sumcL that the death of Mr. Hamerton was from
sudden. unexpected stroke. Only a month ago
ne was in excellent health, and after long stroll
along the fortihcations walked all the way from
Bouogne TO Passy. matter of three miles or more.
His strength seemed then rntaXe1 He was erect.
hale and as vigorous in action as IN speech. and
that IS saving a good deal From the beginning
Mr. Uamer:cn was man of energetic and forclb,e
character Born in 1851. at Laneside. near Shaw,
Lancashire. he brought to the development of his
career a sturdy and even athletic nature His fam
ily was Distinguished in the annals OF Yorkshire.
and mis- schooldays at Burnley and DoncasteT were
expected to prepare him for oxford. lie never
matricuaed. however, but plunged at once into pro
fess.onal literary ana artistic work For the His
torc Times ne wrote series OF papers on Rome
in 1919 and year two later his name appeared
Oh the title page of book on Herdllry In 1870
THE Isles Of Loeb Awe and Other Poems intro
duced him to the public both poet and illus
traitor. the book containing sixteen designs BY the
author. At this time Mr.. Hamerton migrated tn
Paris. where he studied painting and literature. lie
LETT France FOR Scotland in lS5; and at Loch Awe
obtained the material for IA Painters Camp" one
of his most successful books. but. it was not :ong
before he recrossed tine Channel and from early in
the sixties until his death he resided successfully
at Sens. Autun ana BOulogne Seine.
Mr.. Hamerton's tastes were in sympathy with
French life. and he in many ways thoroughly
Galicized; above all iii the feasibility of his criti-
cal faculty. In England his own critics. and he
has had not few, have denied this. and there
has been more than one attempt to discredit his
work by calling il narrow, unmaGinative and so
on The fact is that Mr.. IIamertcn was one OF
the strongest advocates Of common sense ever
known in art criticism, and this has incenscd the
young writer's who are fonder of smart paradox
than OF truth put forward in plain
language. Mr.. Hamcrton no phrase
maker He content TO cothe ms
thoughts in unstrained English. He seldom adj
vanced eccentric opinions ana he never stated any
thing violently He preferred straightforward
and somewhat deliberate statement OF well-asctr-
tanned facts and moderate judgments. This has
rendered him always plausible and generally con-
vincng. 1t is significant fact that his vogue
has been greatest outside Of esoteric cllques ana
among the great mass Of cultivated readers VINO
believe that ar; weeds no rhapsodzing for its elu-
cidatcn. 40 fantastic twill OF the Snowman
wand. but Is a comprehensive thing to be dis
crssed saneiy. in measured. practical way. In
a book like Etching and EtcheTs perhais ms
most satisfactory work on an aesthetic suhJect'
Mr Hamerton brings a special and difficult form
OF art well within the scope OF the general reader
He knew his technique, but never oDtruded II.
is always simple and lucid. 40 writer or art IN
English literature. not Mr. Ruskin himself. is
NOR free from the jaTgon OF the studios
Mr.. Hamerton rcsemb.et his grea; contemporary
IN the versatility OF his gifts lie was always ~;
art critic from The early days when he con ribltel
to the "Fortnghuy' ana was accredited ago 10
he wrote two clever ovels-"Wenderholme" IN ls9,
course' The intellectual LIE" ana "Ff nch ana
English he touched on sociological. questions Win
an equally sure and original hana. II - nr'ei'n,-
to BE- reckorcd with. Tho Etching ana Etchcrs'
}oprn n several tc p' an SG,hory Wien ha
YET 10 be superseded as textbook for 3puMT usf.
- i.e an .,N,, - Ar; vhth ,picag,
only last year all important contributions q me
csrafcl in argument aal attractive in style. Il %
MOI tb. least Of t.r!~ merits That tacy represent a
faith in good book tkins ANA good Illustration
none too common - England. TINS eninnsiSsm. as
ton was brought striknsly MIC play by tc y ciiod
zeal with winch his name has been iienMhe1 ever
foilo." publication which n'a i9ne more man IN,
Mr namerjon described ne foundation Of h'.
magaznc - the witer recently IN the foNoNlhS
words: Il had been driving my VIZ 10 ."s - ' ,t.
,i r ncr,r,ej lust then IT, 2ea entered my hell
to start a really nrsclass art perio neal am on ne
A. home / 50, down at once ami sent AN outline
o. the pan to Mr seeley. in London lie took II up
H wn VAS p'a6!iShed The Portfolio therefor.
Was the fruit Of an impulse hu, we Sc me- 10 ~, H.,
Ter al some lines than at others. II has a."ays
been success. on we WnV'' am ..-n prr.fo,i'"
Mr Harnerton himself maintained. and demanded
rom hie writer's degree Of dIccincss ana s'bIirty
which made his pages distinctly va.uabie IL rh-
cauee Of art H was catholic IN ms adinlhl-' Ia-
ton of the magazine. ana: though h" Is ga" ~
have had more scepticism AZ to me '"o
salons annually opened In Pars; he was one
81 the first to make French art known III Lon
don His Interests rc wide. ana ali NE III is'i'
OF Industrial and applied art wer" inVeSutd" nv
him or bv his contributors, as well as the ilrrs
of nainfiug and sculpture His disappearance from
Tr,,,sh literature win be marked with regret every
where ana his influence VII be missed hg "f hi,S
regard and in his work h was worthy io-