- Edwin Austin Abbey
Infobox Artist
bgcolour = #6495ED
name = Edwin Austin Abbey
imagesize = 150px
caption = Edwin Austin Abbey, drawn byJohn Singer Sargent in 1888
birthname =
birthdate = birth date |1852|4|1|
location =Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
deathdate = death date and age |1911|8|1|1852|4|1|
deathplace =
nationality = American
field =Painting
training =Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
movement =
works =
patrons =
influenced by =
influenced =
awards =Edwin Austin Abbey (
April 1 ,1852 –August 1 ,1911 ) was an Americanartist , illustrator, and painter. He flourished at the beginning of what is now referred to as the "golden age" of illustration, and is best known for his drawings and paintings of Shakespearean and Victorian subjects. His most famous work, "The Quest of theHoly Grail ", resides in theBoston Public Library .Abbey was born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1852. He studied art at thePennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts under Christian Schuessele. Abbey began as an illustrator, producing numerous illustrations and sketches for such magazines asHarper's Weekly andScribner's Magazine . His illustrations began appearing inHarper's Weekly at an early age: before Abbey was twenty years old. Abbey was an illustrator withHarper's Weekly from 1871-1874. He moved toEngland in 1878 where he was made a full member of theRoyal Academy in 1898. In 1902 he was chosen to paint the coronation of King Edward VII. It was the official painting of the occasion and, hence, resides atBuckingham Palace . In 1907 he declined an offer of knighthood in order to retain his U.S. citizenship. Friendly with other expatriate American artists, he summered atBroadway, Worcestershire , England, where he painted and vacationed alongsideJohn Singer Sargent at the home ofFrancis Davis Millet .He completed murals for the Boston Public Library in the 1890s. The frieze for the Library was titled "The Quest for the Holy Grail." It took Abbey eleven years to complete this series of murals in his England studio. In 1908-1909, Abbey painted a number of
mural s and other artworks for therotunda of the newPennsylvania State Capitol inHarrisburg, Pennsylvania . His works in that building includeallegorical medallions representing "Science", "Art", "Justice", and "Religion" in the Capitol Rotunda, large lunette murals underneath the Capitol dome, and a number of works in the House Chamber. Unfortunately, Abbey became ill with cancer in 1911 slowing his work. At the time, he was working on the "Reading of the Declaration of Independence Mural" which was later installed in the House Chamber. Abbey was so ill, that his studio assistant, Ernest Board completed the work with little supervision from Abbey. Later in 1911, Abbey died, leaving his commission for the State Capitol of Pennsylvania unfinished.John Singer Sargent , a friend and neighbor of Abbey, and studio assistant Board completed the "Reading of the Declaration of Independence Mural." Abbey's works were installed in the Rotunda and House Chamber. Two rooms from Abbey's commission were left undone, and the remainder of the commission was given toViolet Oakley . Oakley completed the works from start to finish using her own designs.Abbey was elected to the
National Academy of Design andThe American Academy of Arts and Letters . In 1937Yale University became the home for a sizable collection of Abbey's works, the result of a bequest from Abbey's widow.Works by Abbey
Hamlet ", oil on canvas, 1897Anne Hutchinson on Trial", 1901Pennsylvania State Capitol rotunda, HarrisburgAllegorical_medal_of_
Pennsylvania State Capitol, HarrisburgReferences
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/record/archives/vol19/vol19_iss24/record1924.33
Nancy Mendes. "Edwin Austin Abbey: A Capital Artist." "Pennsylvania Heritage" magazine 32, no. 3 (Summer 2006): 6-15.
External links
* [http://www.bpib.com/abbey.htm Jim Vadeboncoeur's biography of Edwin Austin Abbey]
* [http://cpc.state.pa.us/main/cpcweb/history/artists/abbey.html Pennsylvania Capitol Preservation Committee's E.A. Abbey Bio]
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