New-York tribune., 1919-07-27
Sir Edward John Poynter
Had Held Office Longer
Than Any of His Prede-
cessors Except Two Only
Rudyard Kipling's Uncle
Many of His Paintings, Be-
cause of Reproductions,
Known All Over World

LONDON, July 26-The death is
announced of Sir Edward John Poyn-
envy
The tenth president of the Royal
Academy, who filled that place longer
tha any of his predecessors save only
the first and second, Sir Joshua Reyn-
olds and Benjamin West, was a man
of artistic forbears. His father, Am
brose Poynter, was an eminent arch
tect with a strong bent toward deco
rative and pictorial art and great
grandfather, Thomas Banks, was one
of the foremost English sculptors of
his day.
Edward John Poynter though
typical Englishman, was in fact ma
tive of Paris, where he was born on
March 20, 1886. He was educated at
the Wcstm nster "Bluecoats" school,
and studied art, toward which he
manifested precocious inclination, in
London, in Rome along with Frederick
lie ghton, and finally in Paris under
Gleyre. He was in Gleyre's famous
studio in 1856 '59, and there completed
III dIllSllC uONilldtc
His First in Academy
His first picture was exhibited at the
Royal Academy in 1861, when he was
only twenty-five and only two years
out Of school, and when Sir Charles
Eastlake was president of the academy
Six years later appeared his first great
painting, Israel in Egypt" which two
years later. and after the exhibition Of
his The Catapult" in 1858. won him
election in 1869 as an Associate of the
Royal Academy. The former Of these
two pictures represents a multitude of
Hebrew slaves dragging to its place
thar when Sir John Hawkshaw, the en-
eineer. saw it nearly finished he calcu-
lated the probable weight of the statue
and the strength of the men, and then
said: My dear fellow, you must have
al least twice as many Jews!" Poyn-
ter accepted the criticism and added as
many more men at the ropes
Poyntcr produced large number Of
works. including some which, through
Photographic and engraved reproduc-
tons. have long been among the most
familiar, the most popular and the
mos. loved of modern paintings.
Among them we're "Perseus and An
dromeda' 1872; "Atalanta's Race"
1876; The Fortune Teller" 1877; "Nau-
scaa and Her Maidens," 1879; "Diadu-
meme" 1885; "The Meeting of Solomon
Fears" 1894; "The Ionian Dance"
1859; The Nymphs' Bathing Place."
,91l; IL bia and Her Sparrow" 1907,
ard THE Sea Path" 1914, all of which
were exhibited at the Academy.
Portrait of King Edward VII
He also painted portraits of King
Edward VII and various other eminent
men and women, and many water
colors. He produced two sets of de-
signs for the new British coinage II
1874; cartoons for mosaics ii ST.
George and St. David for Westminster
Palace. and the architectural and tile
kensngton. He was the decorator OF
Naltham Abbey Church, made many
illustrations for Dalziel Brothers fa-
NOUS bible Gallery" designed the
"Apellcs" and "Phidias" in the VIC
toria and Albert Museum, made an i'm
portant series of frescoes in st. Steph
e7's Church, Dulwich, and designed
the Ashantee Medal for the British
army.
OF the paintings mentioned three re-
quirc special notice. "Atalanta's Race
and "Nausicaa and Her Maidens" have
long been among the most familiar to
the world of all paintings of our day.
"Diadumene." on the contrary, is little
known and has in fact been destroyed,
but IL was for a time the most talked
Of picture in the world. 1t repre-
sented Venus at the edge of her bath,
and the fair goddcss's lack of drape-
Yies was the cause of prodigious
storm over the morality of the nude
in art, which ragged 80 violently that
loynter was actually constrained
though some years later-to paint some
draperles upon the figure. This alter
alton was not successful, and the paint
ing was ultimately destroyed.
Some Other Activities
in addition to his activities as 6
painter, Poynter was Slade professor
Of art in University College, London
ls7l-T5; art director and principal O.
the National Art Training School 3
South Kensington, 1881, and director O
the National Gallery in succession II
sir F. Burton, 1S94-1s05- He wa
editor of the monumental "lllustrate'
Catalogue" of the National Gallery
and in 1879 published "Ten Lecture
on Art" He was elected full mem
her Of the Royal Academy in 1878 o
and was created knight in 1896, an
baron in 1902.
His election 10 the presidency Of tn
Royal Academy came in 1895. 81
Frederick Leighton, who had filled tn
place for eighteen years, had died i
January Of that year and had bee
succeeded by Sir John Everett Millai
VINO III turn had died six months late
W hen the academicians met at Bu1
lington House on November 4 to elec
third president for that year ther
were present thirty-six out of tn
tnirty- eight who were eligible 70
voting The principal candidates wer