New-York tribune., 1921-12-11
A Happy Artist
Ablsey's Career as an Illustrator.
and Painter


and Painter
Abbey died ten years aro. The
preparation of book about hin, has
taken time, but now that il has an
peared it is plain that leisurelv execr
ton has only served q good purpose.
Edwin Austin Abbey, Roya! Academi
clan, the Record of His Life and Work -
just published by the Scribners. is one
Of those full-rounded memorials which
are only put together through loving
labor. Mr.. Z. V. Lucas is the author
Az the biographer of Charles Lamb he
has shown his special gift for work
OF this kind. lnsuany other pages h
has revealed the sympathy with whicl.
he can treat artistic subjects. Mrs
Abbey has given him peculiarly helpful
cooperation and the publishers have
spared nothing to secure perfect form
for the two thick volumes. In the
nature Of things they had an unusually
rich mass OF illustrative material to
draw upon. Most Of it is reproduced
/ in photogravure. AS tribute to Abbey
this memoir IS as beautiful as it is
complete.
The narrative IS copious, tracing the
artists career in detail, sometimes
with an excessive particularity, yet it
Is not one to be read for picturesque
episodes, interesting letters and the
like. Abbey'a true history lies II his
drawings and paintings. The events Of
his career are the steps in an artistic
progress. The points which Mr.. Lucas
emphasizes most proitabl are those
which relate not TO adventures but 70
the formation and development Of char
acter. Abbey was happy man. Sue
cess soon came to him ard followe'
steadily, with no passages OF storm
and stress. The fates were kind. But
If he had good fortune he deserved it
The mans nature was Of pure gold
One of the best fragments M. Lucas
has obtained from Abbey's old friends
IS the one in which Mr.. ". A. Rogers
recalls the days III which the future
Royal Academician was "hnding him
SELF in the service of the Harpers:
had induced Mr.. Parsons to accent
a sketch for Christmas front page for
The w eekty.' and il had been redrawn
on wood in the Office. On the occasion
when | first met Abbey he said almost
Immediately, with friendly chuckle.
Frosty a. 3. Frost and redrew that
christmas sketch Of yours. We didn't
Know exactly what IL meant, bat Frosty
sald he didn't believe you knew, either.
SO VIC went ahead" Then VIC both
laughed. and | felt we were friends
from that moment. From the foregoing
It would be inferred. naturally, that nv
ilrst Impressions of Abbey were OF a
humorous nature, but such was far
from being the case. In appearance he
was different III many subtle WAYS from
anyone ever met. His features. while
strong, were cut like a cameo; by force
OF contrast his dark, dccp-set eyes gave
MS face an effect OF great pallor. And.
while he treated me with the utmost
cordlallty. and used every effort to put
me completely at my ease and on
basis Of comradeship, / can feel to this
day the thrill Of ar experience swav he
yond the material. As | grew TO know
hlm better in after days, this feeling
grew deeper rather than less It was
al! We'll enough, 1t seemed to me, for
his companions 10 call him Ned TO
laugh at his merry pranks and funny
sayings, but always TO me his visible
presence and what he said and did
seemed to De the least Of what he
was.
'Then we both laughed" Yes. But
behind rho our,ot,y 4bo-o ~,.~a .-f...-
OF the spirit, making Abbey's lighter
traits seem, as Mr.. Rogers says, the
least Of what he was If those who
knew him loved him it was because
he had so much heart. And in the
larger view which embraces his work
1t was imagination, superadded to feel
ing, that gave him his power We recall
talk with him long ago, in which he
deprecated the making Of too many
preliminary studies for picture. It
slackened the creative impulse, he
said. Watching him at work on one
OF his paintings we were struck by
what we can only describe as the glow
Of his absorption. The functioning OF
his mind seemed to flow like an electric
fluid through his brush. There is
certain engaging boyishness disclosed
in this book, notably in his passion for
cricket. One catches slimpses. too, OF
the craftsman concerned about tech
nique. "Scribucrs have secured Vierge
of the Monde Illustre,' and later of
the Vie Moderne,' for their Peter tho
Great" he writes in one Of his early
letters. Hes a ripper and we'll have
to look out for squalls" The note of
gallant rivalry Is characteristic. But
at bottom il was his dreams that
counted most. He did his work from
wit. IN.
There is an old studio story about
his intimacy with Sargent which ought
to be trus if il isn't, it so yividly
brings ort Abacy's poinr o. Viev. Il