The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-27
WILLIAM H. FULLER DEAD.
NOTABLE ART COLLECTOR AND
WELI.k VOW cow OISSEIR.
His Barblxon and Early English Picture
Collection. sold In ISDS. q Model OF
HOmOEcnrity ami S.OOd Tastc-Iic
Was Recently q Monet Enthusiast.

William II. Fuller, the well-known M
noisseur of paintings, died suddenly of
pneumonia yesterday afternoon AT his
home, o. West Fortieth street He had
been i'll with "A cold hut two days. and not
seriously 80 until early erday after
noon, when he went To bed. Two hours
later he waa dead
He was born in Barryville, Sullivan
county, something over sixty years ago.
His father was Calvin p Fuller. who super
intended the construction of the Delaware
and Hudson Canal. W. II. Fuller was
graduated at Yale in 1891. He then studied
law and was admitted to the bar. but his
practice was brief
He went into business AZ a member of the
Warren 4 Fuller Wall Paper Co. retiring in
1892. when his company was absol bed by
the National Wall Paper Company, in which
he became "A director.
All his life Mr.. Fuller was a lover and
collector of painters. He first acquired
a noteworthy collection of the works
OF American paintings, but about twenty
years ago he began To be Interested in the
paintings of the Barbizon School and of the
English artists of the eighteenth century.
lie made numerous trps abroad and
secured many Of tn" best examples of the
two schools His collection covered nearly
a century and half of painting in England
and France and the pictures formed
group OF surprising hOmogeneuy.
MIR. Fullers loan exhibit ion Of these
paintings at the Union League Club in
February. 1902. vas on" of the important
events III matters of art in this city.
For tho first time in this country, and prob
ably for the first time anywhere" Frank ID.
Mlll"t said of this exhibition. these two
schools Of painting tn" Blrhl2on and the
oil Il
prehen~iv"ly illustrated and coutrasted in
a sinel" gallery: Tn" natural result was an
awakening N this country Of a new and active
interest in English art,
Mr., Fuller sold this collection, thirty-six
pictures altogether. in February. 1895. The
al. was hel ! in connection with that of the
late Charles A. Dana's collection of cera.
| mics and paintings. II was one Of the
city. Mr.. Fuller received for his thirty
six pictures Sis62Go Roisseau's Char
coal Burners Hut" brought 3o,5N: the
Trovon Cows in the Pasture" S?2 900
GainsborouCh's Blue Boy" was with
drawn from the sale 10y Mr.. Fuller An
upset prin of $4,000 had been fixed for
that. There was no bid 20 reachit. probably
BECAUSE at that time there was some doubt
a. 30 whether Mr., Fuller's Blue Boy" was
Gainsborough's original painting or a
replica Mr. Fuller wrote a pamphlet
II defence of the genuineness of his picture.
The painting was sold in London and was
subsequently brought back TO this country
a. the property of George A. Hearn.
After di-po~ing of his Bar IAN and early
English collection Mr. Fuller turned his
attention TO IN" works Of Claude Monet,
whose personal friend he was He was one
Of the first Monet enthusiasts in this coun-
try and did much TO arouse interest here
in IN" work Of the French artist Mr.
Fuller evidently thought more Of Monet
than he had of the Bari izan painter for in
a monologue on ~" French artist h" wrote
ri one room with the works Of any single
painter Of the RnrhiIHn school and -ec IL they
Will cover a Wild" range, l." II true TO nature,
a free from monotOnV and Of n hirh an
averag" exCcllenc" a. these pictures by Claude
Monet
Mr.. Fuller was a member Of the Union
League and University clubs and of the
Century Association. For many wears he
was chairman of ri" Art Committee OF the
Union League Club. He also served on
the Executive and House committees.