New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-21

hold his own IN The company Of greatness.
F3aecfev I'D this Rt-L q confidence and popu-
,a-..v ..a.ch could only have been justified by
his Vi. session OF considerable gifts. The con-
TEMPORARY q Reynolds Gainsborough and Rom
-ay D.. never rose II the course Of his long
career 10 an euineuce quite comparable TO that
(Which thew er+avaS- vet on his early emergence
from ..-.-rt-g h. Conquered sufficiently dis
-;rgr..-.. J position. and steadily thereafter was
not only prosperous but fairly celebrated, count
ing anon his stt---s members Of the royal fam
liz and scores Il cons icuous figures in English
society Ut Roberts j. not precisely inspired
i, his bia--r- ay IF the painter, for Beechey was
net the r-- % make a hero for that kind of
aock Bat In plain straightforward fashion
AVE here IA. rated the salient events in an in
sustrious and fruitful life. and as we follow
hem Ne come TO feel a new sympathy for an
artist hithHr1 unjustly neglected Every stu
tent Of British painting is, Of course, familiar
nth his WORK but il needed i sympathetic and
t5le-ably ez7austive monograph TO somehow
tring the gGa-ities Cf that work together and
reveal then I'D clearer light. Mr.. Roberts's
GENEROUS Illustrations form by themselves in
eratiating tezrimOny 10 the interest OF Beechey's
character as . painter
He was The son of a man about whom MI,
Roberts tells Us nothing beyond the fact that
he died when the future painter was stll quite
young william was handed over to an uncle. a
solicitor OF attorney, who destined him for the
lareer Of q lawyer. but already the lad had
artistic impulses which he strove TO crafty de-
-ufte all disciplinary measures 70 the contrary.
The story Of his emancipation, as it was handed
GOWN in MS family is summarized by Mr.. Rob-
ITS IN q passage so amusing that we must quote
il intact:
-lo L.
s.a!r took H. shutting the boy W in an atuc with
,GthIEg blt a-s school books until re had ms
-sga 70 Iet me boy out and found the bird Town
~ looking ll- @. the window the uncle saw me
.ry Tying across tie fields. He st of after linn
a1d on seeius -aat ne was pursued the boy swan
ross the ri.a-. escaped and begged his Wy 70
laldou. Son- after he arrived he passed . car
lase painter es,alshmeut and went IN 70 val b,
-le seemed % a- amused and asked MN what
-- wanted l- said - wanted 10 earn some money;
nan sad be 8. -.d Try, and gave him a board and
ants and O device 10 COPY ne was 50 I!-iSs4
sin TIE result at he finally employed him 10 as
st he got -. 80 vel that ne painted the arms
e Of seEer-l sre-t peoples csLrriaaes one "a
.-tIn, on Lear--S L VAS quite youth VINO mao
t@.nisd Jhe I.1e ~ ms carTlag asked to sec nm
''.r-Gs for a day into The country. and they de-
.-a1 on walking -aur from London 70 Norwich.
2 heir way t.es stopped ore night at an inn, and
~ next day a-er breakfast discovered that they
=, -e1ts~a = - - T - - tra,iJ
~ cEe, n -.--..rg- II their account The land
saleniid sign - ST. C;aoTce ana The Dragon. In
al'er years Bee .Hy made an attempt 10 get hold
4. tdls early T.r-- but the landlord and the sign
ND 0ota d-saI erred
These We're certainly modest beginnings, but
Beechey had il En- him 10 make rapid progress.
The difficulty q ge-ring on in London did not
--seocrage him and We soon find him an assidu-
Is and successf-l student in the school Of the
Royal Academy He had good health and