New-York tribune., 1919-08-11
BlakeI0ck 8 Art Discovered
After His Mind Was Gone
Great Artist Wearing His Life Away in Hospital
for Insane When World Began to Realize That
He Was Master; Born in New York in l847

When the world discovered Ralph
Blakelock, whose death is told of else
where in The Tribune the artist had
lost himself. Except for Henry Wat
rous and one or two other rare and
dcrded critics who themselves knew
Blakclock, few had heard of him as a
painter up to 1897. That was the year
h. lost himself. Before then his &C
centricitics had been marked, but it
was in 1897 that his friends and his
family had to acknowledge that genius
had become insanity and that it was
no longer safe for Ralph Blakelock to
be at large. That was afte" he had
rushed with knife in hand at Ny. Wat
rous, whose studio ne was using at
the time.
Blakeiock was taken to Bellevue Hos
ptal and never again was master o,
himself. Three years later one C his
paintings won honorable mention at
the Paris Exposition. but the news
meant next 10 nothing to Blakelock.
He was dwelling in a world of delusion
at the Middletown State Hospital for
the Insane.
III I'lO hdIpH DldhcIOCh NIOOn-
light was bought for $4,000 from a
dealer. Blakelock without penny to
his name, was scrawing "checks" for
huge amounts in the asylum to be sent
20 friends whom he imagined to be in
need. His own family was living in
want, dependent upon the eXertions of
the older children, in ilapidated
house near Catskill, N. Y.
Was Born in New York
Rlakelock was born in New Yoll.
October Is. 1917. His father was a
physician and desired to have his son
follow his footsteps. lie was graduate
from the College of the City OF New
York in 1867. but ne did not 60 to a
medical school. Art and the lure CT far
places gripped him.
His training in painting came from
no master save himself. He loved
painting and he loved music. He found
he could master BOTH and did so. He
roamed for a time through the Indian
country in the West painting a little
he lived is not certain. Tradition has
it that he earned some money deco
rating the backs Of hairbrushes and
some more by painting post cards.
He was married in 1876 to Cora r.
Bailey, of Brooklyn. They had nine
children. and Blakclock's carefree days
We're past. Thenceforth he sought
living from the art he had made his
own, end the world laughed at him.
When canvas lacked and the money to
buy it, Blakelock painted on the covers
OF cigar boxes or whatever surface lent
itself to his hand.
Attempts to sci! his works became
almost hopeless. Blakelock bad faith
in them but the dealers had none Just
before his ninth child was born Blake
} lock was trudging the streets in an
effort to find some one reckless enough
to pay him $50 for painting he carried
under his arm. He explained to
friend he met that election from his
home threatened if his quest failed.
Recently the Young Mems Christian
Association rememb bered that it had q
painting which a half-mad artist had
left in one of its dormitories years
before when he was compelled to seek
cheaper quarters. 1t was Blakelock
and was sold for $4,000 by the institu-
tion, which gave the money to q fund
which provided the artist with the va
cations he lately enjoyed.
1t was early in 1916 that Mrs Van
Rensselaer, Adams and other friends be-