New-York tribune., 1909-07-04
LONDON NOTES
Il Gansborough Statue-Work Of
Mr. Gregory-Caricature.
London. June %.

testify that is needed in order to
{ arouse local appreciation OF the great painter.
Not long ago crossed the river from Essex and
sought information in the roadways which would
enable me to see the birth house. once the Black
Horse Inn; but rustics In the open spaces around
the parish church repeated the name listlessy
and confessed that they had never heard Of him.
Yet Gainsborough's youth and early married life
were passed in the ancient market town, and he
subsequently told the loquacious gossip Thick
nesse, that there not picturesque clump
Of trees. nor a single tree of any beauty:
no. nor hedgerow. stem post in around
his native place which not from his earliest
childhood treasured in memory. Sudbury made
so deep impression upon him that he painted
East Anglia landscapes from memory long after
Thicknesse had carried him off from Ipswich to
Bath and put him in the way of obtaining the
best subjects for pOrtraiture Sudbury meant
as much to him East Berghot and Dedham
did to Constable not many miles away yet men
in the sleepy town rub their eyes and have stolid
faces when his name is mentioned one Of the
greatest Of Suffolk worthless
The houses where Gainsborough lived in Suf-
folk, Bath and London have been preserved. and
two of them marked with memorial tablets.
There have been comprehensive exhibitions of
his works, and belated biographies of him have
followed the inadequate memoirs published after
his death There has not been statue worthy
of him in the kingdom. and his grave. in Kew
churchyard is marked by fat stone with his
name and age Neglect Of his memory is to be
repaired through the energy of a representative
committee Of Suffolk men and artists. Princess
Louise. the Marquis of Bristol, Lord Balcarres,
Sir Edward Poynter. the Mayor OF Sudbury and
many other patrons have undertaken to raise
the money for statue TO be designed by one OF
the best Of English sculptors; and they have re-
CejV so ali H.. hat
enterprise will speedily be crowned with success.
The statue is to be erected in Sudbury near the
parish church and not far from the river which
he loved in his boyhood and from the green
meadows and gentle woodlands which he never
left out Of his landscapes
The Royal Academy has lost its member for
the Upper Thames Mr. Gregory's death oc-
CURED at Marlow after Ascot Sunday and only
few miles from Boulter's Lock. which was
the subject OF his most famous picture. That
large canvas employed his leisure hours for
several years. portions Of it being repainted
several times and the treatment acquiring fresh
ness and vivacity with every annual glimpse OF
the brilliant pageant. He knew that it his
greatest work and that he could never expect
10 rival II. and consequently he did not hesitate
to put himself in a skT in the foreground. and
also his friends and patrons. the Cialloways. IN
a larger launch. It was the picture of the year
in 1897. and forced his election as one Of the
Forty Academic;ans about twenty years after
his first important work. Dawn" exhib-
tied. Mr.. Gregory loved the upper reaches OF
the Thames and was happiest when drifting in
a punt anywhere between oxford and Henley.
or gliding swiftly in his motor boat beyond
Cliveden. He had stammering tongue. and
was excessively nervous and Hurried in society.
but he had a most lovable nature and was
honored as a highminded craftsman by all who
knew him. He had been president OF the Royal
Institute OF Painters In Water Colors since the
retirement OF Sir James Linton. and had raised
the standards OF work in that previously un-
manageable group Of artists.
Mr.. Gregory's devoted admirer. Mr Galloway.
bought his pictures for many years rapidly
they painted There were over a hun
dred OF them in the collection, which finally
auctoned off after Mr.. GalIoway's death few
years ago. and "Boulter's Lock" was among
them Although third OF his work was sud-
denly dumped upon the market. the prices were
we'll maintained. and the pictures were dstrib-
uted among private and provincial collections.
Patronage reduced his output, since there was
no struggle with competitors for market but
It enabled him to work when he In the
mood for It and to play with his paints His
closing years had been devoted to portraIture.
for which he adapted by his perfection OF
craftsmanship but il a realist with
brilliant technique and instructive feeling for
textures and blends of color that he made his
mark He took as much delight I'm painting
rnuslins and rich stufts Sir Laurence Alma
Tadema has done in revealing the textures OF
marble surfaces. He also worship
per and filed his canvases with glory OF
light.
A collection Of Sir Carruthers Gould's cartoons
at the Walker Gallery offers convincing proof
that the best political caricature is longer
TO be found in Punch" Mr.. Bernard Partridge
and Mr. Sambourre are superior craftsmen. and
their weekly contributions to THE London
Charivarf" have perfection OF finish; but they
lack the spontaneous humor OF the Gould draw
ings for THE Westminster Gazette" If they
are clever in hitting off situations which have
been gravely discussed over the mahogany
tree" he is mirthfu and light hearted and
draws smiles and chuckles from political oppo-
nents It is rapid work. and the drawing IS
often seriously defective, but il is wholesome |
satire and guileess pleasantly. 1t is marvel |
that he can do so much of it without exhaust |
inc, his resources Of humor. The wonder grows |
when one makes the circuit of this gallery and |
6nds ont how few subjects there are on the |
walls Mr. Chamberlain used to be the favorite |
one as Dizzy was when Sir John Tenniel |
was doing his best work; but the strong feat
,red face with the monocle has disappeared |
fron the note books. Mr.. Bafour and Mr.. |
Asouith are met with at every turn in the gal
lerv one childlike and credulous and the other
assive and persuasive: and Mr.. Henry Chap
lin with a face fashioned for caricature. pleases
Sir Carruthers's fancy and is often portrayed.
Lord I.ansdowne and Sir Edward Grey are not
nassed over but cartoons of them are not eff
fective. Mr.. Austen Chamberlain seldom ap-
or, apd Mr. LLOYD Georges wrinlkled face