ART AND ARTISTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2241, 11 February 1897, Page 47

ART AND ARTISTS.

■ . ■ The editor of Black and White has arranged with Charles Dana Gibson, the great American olack-and- white artist, fox the reproduction in that journal of his latest work, which consists of half a dozen drawings illustrative of noted characters in Diokens. ■ . ■ Miss Mildred Howelh, daughter of Mr William Dean Howolli, the American novelist, has a studio in her father's home in New York, and has done some clever illustrating for books and magazine. Other clever daughters of literary men are Mists Eggleston, who paints children's faces and carves in wood, and Minn Cable, who, although she has reoently been married, Btill illustrates her father's skstcLiea. JOHN FUI-LWOOD, 8.8.A. The artist whose uame appears at the head of this article is on« of the number hailing from the " Qaeen of: the Midlands," by which it va» the fashion a few years back to designate t.he Birmingham School. There was ' bo much individuality, however, in the style and methods of chess young men — as they then were — that it was soon discovered to be a mistake to call them a " sohool," or, indeed, to regard them as having any link in ocmmon, save that of the place of their birth. A few of them settled in Cornwall early in the last decade, and showed their individuality so fctrikiogly that it was »t one time thought; by many that Newlyn was going to mark a new departure in English art. But the rcethod was so easily copied, and so readily exaggerated too, that it vary soon became the distinotion not to b« a Newlynite. John Fullweod was one of the first group that settled at the little Cornish fishing village, and he did suoh good work there that then are those who think it would have been best for Mm to have continued in that locality, and saturated himself and bis canvases with the life and sentiment of that coast and country. Those v who are of that opinion may be right or they may be wrorig, bat there is no question as to the fact that some of his most characteristic work bears the stamp of Cornwall. — Alfred T. Storey in the Art Journal for December. MUNKACST. Mihaly de Munknoiy, the great Hungarian artist, has had a romantic career. Munkacsy, by the way, is a name he adopted from Munkacs, hio birthplace ; his proper name is Michael Lleb. He was born just 50 years ago, and w*s the youngest ohild of a poor peasant family. He bas no memory o! liis parents, for in 1848 his father joined the insurgents, and the following year both.', father and mother were killed by the" Cosaacks. Young Michael went to his uncle, who could only provide him with a peasant's meagr« education. ' De Mankacsy, at the age of eight, had to begin the world's battles for himself. He was apprenticed to a carpenter, and worked with him for Bix years. Muoh of his work' was out of doors, even in the cold weather, and he suffered from lack.cf tolerable clothing. His ambition was to be a tailor, his ideal of existence being shelter and warmth. From his liking for paint, his master entrusted him with the drawing of oruda decorative flowers on rude chests of drawers, and this decided his career. He improved rapidly in drawing, and when his apprenticeship was over went to study painting under Szamosy. He developed with wonderful rapidity. His uncle did not like the new departure until he painted a true portrait of the old man, who thereupon " recognised the finger of Heaven m this wonderful talent." In 1863 De Munkacsy went to Pesth afoot, making on the way strange acquaintances among gipsies and vagabonds. In Pesth, Vienna, Munich, and Dusßeldorf he had laborious and trying days. An American millionaire gave him bia first commission to paint a large picture. This, " The Last Day of a Condemned Man," waß aent in 1870 to the Paris Salon, and made the painter famous. Life then became "a triumphant; marcb," as bis biographers Bay.

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