New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-22
A PAINTERS STORIES.
SOME INTERESTING PEOPLE OF THE CEN
TURY.

"REMINISCENCES OF a PORTRAITPAINTER
ny George r a H G. 70 "0' PIP 14 nj
George F. A. Hcay was living only few months
ago He died on June q. 1894 This recently pub
lishel volume OF his recollections Is certainly
book Of the present day, yet the Predominant I'M
preston It conveys is that OF the exaggerated
length Of a human life. 1t is almost nncanny 70
hear from the present living voice, the tales or
one who stood at the deathbed Of Andrew Jack
son and listened to John Quincy Adams's stories
OF his schooldays in Paris. when Louis XVI was
King. And yet Mr.. Healy's life. though prolonged.
was not Of extreme length; did his professional
activity long ago TO cause him TO pass
entirely from sight though his work be
longed a stage OF American art now superseded.
As late as 1889 he painted NJ Jules Simon and
hibed In the Salon OF 1880. But the and the
ideas had come and left him an old man fol-
lowing the good old way he kncw-and that way
was the fashion OF the first half almost the first
quarter. OF the century; for his master. eros was
the follower OF David. who died In 1885, and eros
himself followed only ten years later. Mr.. Healy
realized that he was old-fashioned and accepted
the fact with the contented philosophy Of a kindly
and mellowed spirit.
He the Of an Irish captain, and was
born in Boston July Is. 1913. There was GER
tainy nothing artistic about his early surroundings;
bu. one OF his early memories OF playing mar
bles In the street and hearing one Of his fellow
urchns exclaim There goes old Stuart and
catching glimpse OF no more than the artists
back But rainy day came 10 the sixteen-ycar
old boy. and led him to visit children who
amused themselves by making drawings and col
oring them with startngly bright pigments. He
looked until a companion said: you could not
do much, could you. George " j guess
could said In true Yankee fashion: and. netted.
! began to color OF the childish drawings
which the little girl obligngiy wrote directions az
the tnts I should use" 1t the first time
he held bu he nav fas at cd m nd
aftcrwar1 he would do nothing else. His people
objected Notwithstanding that his first portrait was
OF the family butcher, whose patience over
paid bill thereby heightened. Miss Stuart one
day lent the boy a print Of Guido Rents "Ecce
Homo" which he copied coloring the face best
he could from the study Of his own mirror.
good-natured bookseller gave the copy room. and n
poor Roman priest paid ''all he could scrape to-
gether" so. TO put 1t in his little bare country
church. Thirty years later the priest. hearing his
name spoken-for they had never seen each other
--accosted him In the Capitol at Washington. told
him the incident and passed on without giving his
name. Mrs. Harrison Gray Otis, once queen Of
society In Boston. was his first woman sitter. The
boy boldly to her and said he had
painted any but men. and he wanted TO paint
beautiful woman. Such homage was Irresistible
Her patronage brought "A moderate success. and in
1884 Mr. Healy who up to that time had no master
was able to set sail for France to become stu
dent OF Gros.
portrait Of General Cass brought him to the
notice OF Louis Philippe. who offered to sit for
the young American. His first attempt to meas
o .ie mug race with "a compass frightened
the attendants and they rushed forward TO restrain
NM .nhkihs ne was going to murder the mon
arch' put Louis Philippe laughed heartily at them
me Nlhs was not at all an impressive person.
spoke English huently, and could use sucb exnre.
siohs as we are dished'' with quite a Modern air
AZ mas command Mr. Healy came back to Amer