The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-02
w. H. GIBSON AND HIS WORK.
How the Artist Lived and Went About
His Paintings and Writing.

His Paintings and Writing.
New York Sun.
William Hamilton Gibson. the writer and
artist, who died suddenly last week. was
within a short time after he took up the
work his collection or views numbered
more than six hundred. Half of these
France. Switzerland. Scotland and Holland
and they were so casually made that they
included views out of the windows OF rail-
road cars, and Others that were caught
when the operator was resting on no hrm-
er foundation than the back OF the don
key which carried him over the Alps. in
one corner of his Brooklyn studio there
was a dark chamber devoted to the art
lists labors in photography, and there were
few places he ever visited IN this country
or Europe from which MIR. Gibson did not
carry away some souvenir In this, ms Ia
vorite form. a
Mr.. Gibson had his studio for a long
Of the city. but later transferred IL TO the
top floor of his home. Sweetness is never
wasted on the desert air was one or MS
the presence of beautiful objects about an
artist is always conducive TO his inspira,
ton. Living up to this theory. ne mad
made OF the room in which his work was
done an unusually attractive apartment.
even for a room which allows such lati-
tude for the display of taste as a studio
walls with tapestries. and the floor was
covered with Turkish rugs. Some pieces
of fine old mahogany furniture. substan-
tial and polished. helped to furnish the
place, and did actual service, adding the
merit of practical usefulness to its orna-
mental effect.
There were other practical furnishings
in the shape of chairs that were really
comfortable and easy, as well as beautiful
and artistic. and about the broad windows
were low cushioned seats. From these
windows the artist had an extensive view
of the two cities, as well as of the bridge,
the bay, the Liberty statue, and. further
~ fhn honxOs>n1rn6 tho naliCQ6aG and hills
of New Jersey. Many of the objects in the
room had been in the possession OF Mr..
Gibson's family for years. and one of these
was an old sun dial which hung on one
of the walls. 1t had seen a century or
more Of active work, and had belonged at
one anot time h to the gr that addaa OF the tine sa arsis q,
association to it's usefulness and deco
rative effect was a high chest Of drawers
that had been in the Gibson family for
generations. Another valued possession of
grandfather. Chief Judge Richard Dana
painted after Singleton Copley; The walls WALL
sketches of flowers and landscapes. made
by the artist. and usually the number OF
articles and books was large enough to
crowd his large writing table and the
other available places in the room.
The summer months Mr; G1psoh spent
Conn.,, and there his studi was in an old
district schoolhouse. which was one of the
ARTISTS cnlldnOO0 recOllectlOnS OF tne place.
1t stood on the top Of the Hill. surrounded
by great sumac bushes and the natural
growth Of country shrubs and flowers.
which the artist would not consent to have
disturbed any more than the workmen
found it necessary to do In building piaz-
zas about the little house and making II
appr SaSrnmea to -, its new pnrpo;s is !. Mn Sirv G an,
the grounds about his house. Only a d.
minutive grass plot was cleared away In
front of the building. and: beyond destroy;
growth was not changed. The field in
front of his house was allowed to grow
wild flowers, with no interference from its
new owner. Thick woods grew near the
house. but these were not altered In ap.
that were cut through them. The artist
wanted the nature that he knew and loved
so well to be undisturbed as far as posi-
bic in the aspect by any artificial treat
ment. The contemplation of such simple
conditions was not, however, indispensable
to his inspiration. During the summers
that he passed in town he was not at a
loss for material. and he used to say that
in Prospect Park or in the suburbs be
could find in the plants and flowers sum-
cient impetus impetus to his gI pen m and nntb Penci after be
was an artist. and he drifted In rather
an unwise fashion into literature. At first
he had a hard struggle to receive recogni-
ton for his sketches, and they were re-
turned with depressing regularity from
the publishers to whom they were submit
ted.
last. in utter desperation" he said
once, in explaining the manner In which
he had commenced to write, Il accompa-
MED a drawing when I sent 1t to a pub
Usher with a few words of explanatory
text. This succeeded so well that 1 con-
tinued the practice, n finally began. to
realize that rat l - might ssame as ~ wei ha n eSpana w9 for
me, to become an author as well as an art
list If / wanted to succeed. i began to read
then with the idea of cultivating a style
IN p-ri4fr~ ord ao Il rnnfinlad Il fOnnd
that my sketches were more and more ap-
preciated as 1 sent them in with descrip-
tive text or writing Of some kind. ! kept
that up; so naturally enough dritted into
Mr.. Gibson usually made his drawings
first in accordance with some general pre-
text of his books. He was an indefatiga-
BILE worker, and from half past 8 In the
morning until 6 at night he was at his
at night. in the belief that the quiet as
sisted him in his work. but he came after
ward to the conclusion that he did his
continued hard work had its inevitable
consequences. Several times he broke
down, only to return again. when his
health was restored, TO his old-time enthu-
siasm and devotion to his work.
In spite of the accuracy of his sketches:
Mr.. Gibson was not a man who believed
from the natural object. His pictures. as
the public saw them. rarely came directly
from nature. nor did he work much In the
open air. Disagreeing with the painter of
the plein air school. he thought that the
artist would do his best work in the studio
from his memory and ina gination. He be-
lieved that the reality of an object was
not lost IL the artist did not draw or paint
from the object itself. He believed that
contact with the physical object out OF
doors was distracting to the highest ele-
ments of the imagination as il was applied
to the medium of painting.
9Th gain in the Imaginative quality or
a picture or sketch he would say, rs not
necessarily at the sacrifice of truth"
Mr.. Gibson. as was. perhaps. natural In
the case of a nan who wa so much alb
sorbed in nature, took some interest and
almost had faith in certain. phases of
phychic phenomena. One OF bis books that
he liked best strengthened his interest in
such matters. He always said that IL was
the result of a dream. in which the work..
for some time vague and Uniformed in his
mind. took definite shape and scope. The
details of its execution came to him. too.
and the next morning he was able 10 set
to work with the scheme of IT perfectly
clear and infinitely planned. His publisher
listened TO the plan of his book. and ac-
cepted IL Immediately. 1t was called
Sharp Eyes and was in the nature OF
a calendar showing the different phases as
sumed by nature in every week of the year
TO the eyes of a rambler among her beau