The Washington times., 1911-08-02
FAME OF PAINTER
ABBEY DUE TO HIS
CARE FOR DETAILS
America Shares Triumphs
of Great Artist Who
Died Yesterday.
WELCOMED MEMBER
OF ROYAL ACADEMY
success Dates From His First Pic
ture, "A May Day
Morning"

Many persons in the United States ar.
surprised to learn that Edwin Austin
Abbey. who died in England yesterday.
was native Of this country and re-
celVed his early training here.
Born In Philadelphia in 1852. he went
to England in 1878, and with the exeen-
tion OF few years has never since that
time resided in this country. Though
a member Of the National Academy of
Design in New York, the Royal Acad-
emy OF England laid claim to him in
1888 and has ever since held his strong
allegiance.
Mr.. Abbey became an EngIishman. 1t
was the Midlands Of England that fas-
| clnated MIN when he went there to re-
side temporarily while doing work for
Harper & Brothers, the publishers. The
spell laid upon him lasted.
Mr.. Abbey was born April l. 1s52 his
father being William Maxwell Abbev
and his mother, Margery Anne KIM.
ADoey. He evinced marked artistic tai
eht al an early age, and was a student
IN the Pennsylvania Academy Of Fine
Arts from the time his interest In draw
ing and painting became active. He re-
mained there until he was nineteen
years old. when he obtained a posi-
ton In the art department of the firm
OF Harper & Brothers, of New York.
Proper Environments.
II began his career. IT oIacad hin, Z,
company OF such capable men as John
W. alexander Howard Pyle, and Jo-
seph Pennel. With their inspiration
ana ADVICE he obtained also a training
under the art editor that proved his
talents while It strengthened them. The
art editor, for the good Of his artistic
soul or otherwise, as a friend said of
the assignment" had him to make
pictures Of places he mad never seen. II
exercised his Imagination.
He did so well at It that he was SET
TO sketching historical scenes between
Boston and Philadelphia, and he did
those so well his chief sent him to Eng
land to absorb local coror for some illus
trations he was to make for an edition
of Herrick's poems.
That was in 1S7S and 1t was the car
dinal year of his life. The sylvan
beauty of the Midlands Of England. the
woods, the copses, the hedges, held him
fascinated He came back to the United
States, finished his contract, and went
back to the Midlands. He lived for a
time in an ancient house IN Broadway.
a village near Stratford and Kenilyorth
and later he went to Morgan Hall. In
Fairfoard, Gloucestershire, which he
maintained as home at the time of
MS death, his town address beng Chel-
sea Lodge, Tite street, London, s. w
his studio was in Morgan Hall. ''Hera
ne built for himself" il was written nv
a friend, "a studio exactly suited to
MS tastes. not crazy curio-corner fash
ioned to afternoon teas and Van Dyck
heards, but a large, bare, deep-toned
Power In Taking Pains.
He was constantly progressing. He
often repeated the ancient saying that
1t is the power of taking pains, rather
than unbridled brilliance, that leads to
success. He had undoubted briIliance.
and yet he was a worker. His ability
for labor guided his skill and feeling
for art until he became a master Of
He had a remarkable dra-
matte talent, shown most notably ill his
historic pieces, and an insight into
character that is evident in all of them,
but he controlled both talents, by learn
ing both manual dexterity with mis-
medium as we'll as the grammar of
bis anguage-drawing. color. the use
Of values, proportion, composition in
line and mass, in light and shade, deco
ration, and architecture.
The result of a fusion of the good
down from memory forms noted in in
flashes of sight, with the
best OF those who sacrifice themselves
to minute celineatlon, is that mis- car
vases are large in style, vet filled with
4 wealth of detail He was an ill,ls-
traitor, even after he began to use cam
vas and oils. but he realized that the
calling Of an illustrator is as noble as
any other II the artist makes it So
ant success In 1890. He exhibited his
first picture in the Royal Academy-"A
May Day Morning." His success be-
gan then. He married Mary Gertrude
Mead, daughter of Frederick Mead. of
New York. He had not altogether Tor
gotten his native Country
Joins Royal Academy.
He attained membership in the Royal
Academy in 1898, and three years later
King Edward VII commissioned him to
,aint the scene of the coronation.
Mr.. Abbey is best known in America.
,erhaps, for the wonderful mural deco
aIlOnS lie tic DOslOH TuD-
Ic Library. He worked under remark
BILE difficulties. even in +he choice of
theme. He finally selected the Holy
rail as the subject as 1t seemed most
eneral to all Christendom. He handled
boldly and splendidly. Mr. Abbey
i'd some decorations for the Pennsy!-
ania State capitol, and several of his
ictures are owned in the United States.
Mr.. Abbey was a member of the
loyal Bavartan Academy, the Amen-
an Water Color Society, the Society
( Mural Painters in New York, an as
ociate of the Royal Water. Color So
lety in London, the societe Rationale
es Beaux Arts, in Paris. a correspond
lg member of the Institut de France.
fellow of the Society of Antiquaries,
n honorary member Of the American
institute of Architects, member of
ne Society of Artists at Madrid, IN
ssociate of the Royal Institute of Brit
III Architects, member of the Ameri-
an Academy of Arts and Sciences,
hevalier of the Legion of Honor of
rance. and to several other societies
nd clubs.
Among his best-known pictures are
The Trial of Queen Kather-
Ie." The Penance of Eleanor" The
Ierchant of Venice Richard the
bird and the Lady Anne" and Who
) Sylvia?' He illustrated Herrick's