Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16


IS due 70 those who seek for Irish
themes to treat the history, scenery.
legendary literature and current life
of the country with the ennObling
touch and the revealing insight of
poetry"
Demand for irish Tales.
Rev. Stopford Brooke recently n
London spoke thus Of this subject:
I'VE have had enough of the Greek
stories of late: enough Of the Italian
mediaevalism, whether its tales be Of
saints or sinners The Morse tales
also will for a time be laid aside:
and. though they have powerful
humanity, they have little love Of
nature.
we have even been enforced Of late
TO go TO India for our subjects. But
the Irish stories are yet untouched.
and they have Imagination, color.
romance of war and love, terrible
and graceful experimentation. a pas
sionate humanity and vivid love Of
natural beauty and sublimity.
Now, in connection with the re,
vivai Of interest in Irish poetry and
litera ture the same renascence is no.
ticeable in Irish art, and there has
Just appeared Dictionary Of irish
Artists" extensively written by Wal
ter e Strickland and published BY
the firm Of Maunsel q Company
The author Of the directory has
shown 50 mucn personal interest n
his work that it naturally inspires
ike interest in the reader and
especially in the breasts Of those
whcse ancestors drew their breath IN
Ireland. Besides, to the student the
work Is invaluable. Fer Mr.. Strick-
land has added greatly TO general
/ knowledge Of the history and de-
ve,opment Of the arts in Ireland.
Difficulty Of His Task.
The difficulty Of this enlargement
| OF knowledge Of the subject IS wei
known. Hitherto, Investigation into
the lives and works Of Irish artists
has been a toilsome task indeed Save
in the case Of a few well-known
names but little Is recorded IN bio
/ graphical dictionaries and reference
books that would provide the basis
for historical survey. In these two
/ volumes. however. the future his
I torian viii find not only Information
as to the facls, but also guidance Te-
+ garding the feds from which more
complete materials may be Cleaned
/ While the more famous Irish Daizs-
t ers are not neglected in Mr., Suther
lands dictionary, facts are given
4 Tor the first time regarding certain
{
! tinction. about whom little has beer
/ known hitherto. apart from their
/ works. -
irish Portrait Painters.
Among tho very earliest 81 thesr
are Thomas Poorley and Michae
Mitchell. two portrait painters OF n
seventeenth century, who left mas
Irish portraits Of the period both So
public and private collections. Iise9
are no biographies extant OF either
nj these painters. and the account q
them given in tie dictionary form s4fs
important addition TO the history
British art The facts show tn
! Poorley, II least. was a painter 6
great merit.
The Foremost PsstelIist
Reverting to an instance much
later, Hugh Hamilton, the painter -
many striking portraits Of eighteenth
| century notabilities, finds in Mr.
Strickland his first biographer This
shows to what an extent everything
| in Ireland has suffered from insolen7
neglect. Hamilton, indeed, Is ueF
1 beginning to be recognized as one -
the foremost pastellists of his time
4 Born and educated in Dublin, Han
ilton first practised his art in his 4ae-
tive city and afterwards in Londcn
and in Italy Going back to Ireland
after an absence of more than twenty
years, he painted in Dublin until his
death, in 1905 While he painted nanF
portraits in oil his crayon portTSffs
are better known.
The chief merit Of Mr.. Stricklands
dictionary is that he has added 81
much TO our information about
rainters of distinction who yet hnd
but little praise or notice in ordinary
1 handbools
For instance, he has greatly added
to the general knowledge of Carrot
| Morphey, who is referred 70 as
| Murphy by Mr.. Collins Baker. tilH
art critic of the London Saturday
Review, in his standard work on tho
Stuart pointers. and as "Merste~
in letter among the Portland
/ papers at Welbeck.
Morphey is best known by his
portrait of Archbishop Oliver Phin-
kett. who was executed at Tyburil
| in 1881. He also painted portraits
OF Henry, Duke OF Newcastle. and "
/ Anne Boyle, wife of the celebrated
[ Lord Mountjoy. In the latter ~
these Mr.. Strickland discovers traces
OF French influence
The biographies of Richard Roth
well, Robert Howe. Samuel Collins,
Sampson Roche. Sir Frederick Bur
but a few out of many-alse contain
much that is new. And, in sane
cases, Mr.. Strickland eorrects IN
accuracies in the existing works of
reference.
Irish Mezzotintists.
But especially valua Bile to students
is that part of the dictionary which
relates to the rise of the Irish school
of mezzotintists. OF the founder Of
the school. John Brooks, he has r.
great deal of interest to record and
his complete list of the line engrav-
ings and etchings of this engrs vef
before he transfers his attention 10
mezzotinting is a most important con
I tribution to the general knowledge or
the subject.
| In the further catalogue OF Brooks r.
mezzotint work a great deal of new
information may be found, derived
chiefly from contemporary newspa-
pers. Thus the dates of many of his
prints can now for the first time be
ascertained.
The dictionary also gives many
new facts about the life of Brooks e
assistant. Andrew Millar, and his
most distinguished pupils. Mrs. Mae
Arden. Houston. Spoonef and Pn1
cell. who afterwards revived the art
OF mezzotinting in England
Not the least interesting part u
the dictionary is the story of the
foundation of the art institutions ~
Ireland. As early as 1883 the Dublin
Society, which had been founded eight
years before with the obJect Of ifa-
lproving 'husbandry, manufacture and
the useful arts and sciences, offered
premiums for works in painting and
statuary, and soon afterward estat
liShed = school Of art IN Dublin.