Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-29

plaques and what not for one another's
studios, and the result In Abbey's case,
| was that he cultivated a fondness for
| spending nearly every cent he had, not
| necessary for living expenses in adjoining
| his studio and home
| When he leased Morgan Hall his English
| home, an old rambling structure parts Of
| which are over 800 years old and which il
| surrounded by an estate of thirty acres, he
| began altering ii right and left and deco.
! rating and embellishing il with as much
| fervor as he used to display in adjoining
| the studios of his young days In America.
| To Morgan Hall Mr.. Abbey has also cary
| ried his enthusiasm for base bah. He doe sn'f
| play base ball exactly. but nearly every
| day he INDUCES in what he considers tbs
next best thing-cricket. His friends accuse
| him of having had snow scraped off the
| cricket field more than once so that he
| might enjoy his favorite pastime. How,
ever that may be IT is true that whenever
no one else is around TO play with him. hi
| presses the gardener the estates caretaker.
and his models into service.
| once year during the cricket season Mr..
Abbey has cricket week at Morgan Hail,
ana all the artists in London and there
| abouts are his guests.
1t was at Morgan Hall that Mr. Abbey
| painted his Holy Grail pictures in what he
| has described in letter as an "abcmina-
| ton OF corrugated IRON This was a shed
about eighty feet long. erected expressly
| as studio in which to paint the panels.
as Morgan Hall had no room big enough
| to accommodate them
| 1t is to Morgan Hall that numerous mems
| bers of royalty and many persons of title
have been journeying Of late in order to
| pose in their robes of state for the corona.
ton painting. Until few weeks ago Mr.
Abbey had in his possession at his home
| numerous coronation accessories and robes,
| and much of England's regaia of state. He
| wrote that he had little of every hing
| that figured in the coronation except the
| crown, and he thanked heaven that he
| didn't have that-he was worried enough
as 1t was while the royal baubles were in
his keeping by thoughts of burglarit = de-
! struction by fire. and what not.
Just at present Mr. Abbey is working on
| certain architectural features of the pqnt.
| ing. He says that he has still TO see a pub.
| lished drawing of the coronation ceremony
| that In any way faithfully depicts the scene
or any portion OF it, that occurred in Vest
minister Abbey last August. "All are abso-
| lutely false is his frank criticism
| If the coronation painting is finished by
next spring Mrs. Abbey will be largely res
sponsible. Her husband much prefers his
| cricket field to his easel but she sees to it
| that his work is not left too long in his
enthusiasm for the British national game.
| Mrs. Abbey Is an American, born in tho
| Isle of Wight while her parents were trav-
! cling, and she and Mr.. Abbey first met
when, as Miss Mary Mead, she was touring
| Europe. Mrs. Abbey is daughter OF the
| late Frederick Mead of New York and Is
a graduate of Vassar College. She is dis
| tnctly American in her tastes and loyal to
| the great republic.
Mr.. Abbey has lived abroad almost con-
| stantly for some twenty-four years. He
| first went to Europe in 1878. returning IN
1851 In 1850 he again went to Eneland
with several members of the Tile Club.
Since then he has frequently made trims to
/ this country. At one time shortly after
going abroad the second time. he ,later-
mined to return and live in America He
! had all his goods shipped over here: and
then, few days after they had ached
| their destination he decided to remain IN
| England, where he was beginning to It cure
remunerative commissions, and his Fleets
We're sent back without having been UNI
| packed. But Mr. Abbey has not permitted
| his residence abroad to interfere with his
! love for his native land nor to wean him
[ from things American.
| His Training in Oil.
| 1t was Europe that first gave Mr. Abbey
| marked attention worker In water COLI
ors. This was at Paris exposition in the
sos and at time when America outside
a, small circle, knew scarcely anything
about his ambitions with the brush. but
was we'll acquainted with his Illustrations
| IN black and white. 1t was not until he
| began the Holy Grail panels that Ameri-
| cans generally began to learn of his abili.
ties In oil and co.ors. Then many were
surprised and the comment was frequently
| heard, Another painter sprung ,1p over
| night
| But this was not the case for while work.
! ing In New York and occupying quaint
| studio down town that Brander Matthews
| has described interestingly in THE Last
| Meeting Mr.. Abbey painted water colors
| and in his first year in England he was
| made a member of the Royal Institute Of
Water Colors- In fact, before he left Phila-
| delphia he had received instruction in colors
| IN the studio of Isaac l.. Williams, a Penn
sylvanda academician and In his day well
known in his own town.
| The water color displayed at the Paris
| exposition was entitled THE Stage Office"
and depicted a group of weary travellers
/ st-y,iT1
| coach to come along.
The sobriquet of THE Chestnut was an
| piled to Mr.. Abbey by his fellow artists
when he dabbling in colors IN New
| York and was a hale fellow we'll met in the
| Tile Club. A rule of the club made it im-
| perative for each member to tell a story at
| the clubs meetings Mr.. Abbey invariably
| told, with different treatment and embel-
| lishments each new recital, the tale of a
man who bought chestnut farm on Long
| Island This man had expectations of grow
| Ing rich therefrom, but he never gathered
a bushel of chestnuts. because all the neigh
bors and boys and girls for miles around
would come to his gate and ask for Just a
handful of .chestnuts, and the owner of the
farm, granting their requests, gave away
all the fruit of his trees.
Among the survivors of the Tile Club
many of the members are dead, after hav-
ing won fame-Mr Abbey is often referred
to as The Chestnut"
When King Interviewed Abbey.
Up to the time that he commissioned
to paint the coronation picture Mr. Abbey
had not been presented to King Edward.
When he was summoned before the king
so that he could be officially informed that
he had secured much coveted honor
about all that his majesty said beyond the
mere announcement of his selection was:
My Lord Chamberlain will attend TO the
details. Then Mr.. Abbey clad in the
gown of the Royal Academy and carrying
his sword, bowed himself out of the royal
presence.
But Mr. Abbey has held extended con-
Versaion with at least one monarch. This
is King Oscar of Sweden
A short time after he had become a menu
Der of the Royal Academy Mr.. Abbey ac-
cording TO a custom regarding new men,
bers. found himself a member of the acad-
envy council. One of the duties of the coun-
! ell is TO arrange for royalty's private view
of the annual exhibitions. At the first
private view that Mr.. Abbey helped to plan
he had one of his paintings hung, The
Trial of Queen Catherine" and Il fell to
his lot to escort King Oscar, then on a.
visit to England.