New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-02
Arts mad Been III ir london.
and Underwent Operation
About a Month AGO,
a SON OF PENNSYLVANIA
British Pay Tribute to Him as
"Unexcelled by Any Painter
of His Day in Rendering
Medieval Subjects"

this afternoon.
Little had been made public regarding
HIS illness and IL was not until A day or
two ago that IL was known that his con-
diuon was serious He underwent an oper-
alton for iSyer trouble about month ago.
i is now stated that he appeared to be
recovering. but few DAYS since suffered a
relapse acer which he slowly sank
The funeral will be held on Thursday
afternoon m the Kingsbury Old Church.
near Willesden. northwestern suburb %
London The body will be cremated and
buried ar Kingsbury
THE afternoon papers here print extended
obituaries OF Abbey. All speak most fat
taringly Of his talent MS a colorist and
craftsman Of rare power and point out
thai he was uneXcelled by any painter Of
his i8v ir rendering MEDIEVAL subjects
King George and Queen Mary have sent
messages Of coincidence % Mrs. Abbey
Harrisburg. Aus I-Steps will be taken
BY state officials IN ascertain in just what
shape Edwin a. Abbey left his work for
the decoration of the legislative halls and
supreme Court chamber of the Capitol
Except that four canvases Of the ten for
the halls Of the Senate and House have
been completed and are ready for ship
ment. Samuel 3. Rambo. superintendent
Of public grounds and buildings. has no
Information as 20 the rest OF his work.
although he thinks the sketches might
permit OF Some Of the painting being
finished
Mr. Rambo has sent word 70 Mrs Alb
hey in reply 70 her letter received yester-
day, that the completed paintings should
be shipped. He VIII communicate with
DR. J. William White. who has handled
Abbey's business affairs IN this country.
regarding the remainder. The wishes p
the dead artist will De carried out regard
ing the hanging Of his finished works for
the Capitol and his assistant will be given
authority 70 arrange details.
NJ Abbey's series OF eight paintings for
the r0tUnda were placed in 1908 and, count
ing the four works mentioned. he had com
pleted about half Of the commission. For
the whole work the sum of $4,000 was
appropriated in 1907. Had not this appro-
uriauor been made the Capitol might
never have been adorned by the works OF
the famous PALMER. because when the
Board OF Public Grounds and Buildings
found iu 1903 % what large figures the
cost OF finishing the Capitol was running
10 ordered work stopped on all OF the IN
filed decoration contracts held by John
y. Sanderson. These included the Abbey
paintings and the proposed corridor deco
ratiOrs by John w. Alexander. which had
been assigned % the artists by Sanderson.
However. il was recognized later nv ex-
Governor Stuart and others that the state
could not afnord TO lose the Abbey paint
ings and an exception was made in his
case and an appropriation voted Only a
portion Of this sum has been paid over
Edwin Austin Abbey was born in Phlla-
delphia, April 1. 1852. He was married in
New York 10 Mary Gertrude daughter Of
frederick Mead. ia 1870 His art studies
We're begun ar the Philadelphia Academy
1f Fine Arts and continued az Yale where
he received his a. NJ. degree. He obtained
me degree Of Il. y from the UNIVERSITY.
Of Pennsylvania
In ST be came 10 New York and Joined
the art STAFF Of Harper & Bros. working
IN ohscuritv az all kinds OF hack work in
Illustrating.
I'm ISIS he was sent by the Harrers 20
England 20 gather material for illustra-
lions ~ the poems Of Robert Herrick
These pen drawings. published In iSs2 ate
t~-cted much attention and were followed
by Illustrations for CToldsmth's play She
Stops % Conquer Css0, for a volume
entitled "Old Songs CSSo. and for a num-
Der # Shakespeare's plays.
IFS water colors and pastoIs were no
less successful than the earlier iIust~a-
-iors 10 pen and ink. and in 1890 his first
oil painting 10 be shown publicly was
exhibited at The ROYAL Academy. II was
entitled "A May Day Morn
Tr 1895 he exhibited Richard Duke of
Gloucester and the Lady Anne" and was
elected an A. r. a.. becoming a fun r.
a. IN 1895 Among his best known 0astols
arc Two Noble Kinsmcn.' Beatrice
and Phyllis" OF his water colors may be
mentioned The Rose ln October "Lo
EorrIeur' and "An old Song
While Mr.. Abbey had been living in Eng
land at Morgan Ill., Fa.~ford. in Glouces-
te~sHre, and winning his triumphs on
British soil his fame had spread % his
own country. and even before his election
90 the Academy he had received. iu 1891.
the commission 10 do what. when COM
p.eted. proved TO Dee one of his greatest
works The quest OF the Holy Grail as
q s7eze for the Boston Library. When
the FIRST part Of 10 was completed it was
exhibited and brought so much praise 10
Abbey that his election as an associate in
The Academy followed. Two years later.
~ 1898. he was elected a Royal Acade-ni-
clan. an honor won by few Americans.
Fifteen Panels in AL
he worked on the Holy Grail frieze until
1872 when il was completed and brought 20
this country after being exhibited in the
CuldhaU Art Gallery in London. There
were In all fifteen panels IN oils describing
pscloriallv the Grail legends. beginning
with the education OF SIR Galahad. then
taking up his entry as Knight Of the
Round Table followed by his adventures
IN quest OF the Grail
These paintings are remarkable for bril-
liant coloring I'm red and luminous gold
effects in the classic mural style. softened.
however. by the more subdued light IN
their inches in the lofty corridor of the
Boston Library The panels We're shown
IN Paris. and when brought 20 this couu-
Try and exhibited before being put in
place they were greeted with enthusiastic
admiration and won recognition for Abbey
a. one Of the greatest artists America
had produced.
Relating how he came 90 select the sub
iect NJ fae Search for the Grail, he said
once
DIV first idea was 20 choose an early le-
gerd from each country Of Chts'endom-
Spanish. French. German, Angl1-saAon.
bad iH mind. for instance. sucn legends as
Tie Song Of Roland. t.c Nlbc.uagcn Saga.