Abbey, Edwin Austin

▪ American painter

born April 1, 1852, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.

died Aug. 1, 1911, London, Eng.

      American painter and one of the foremost illustrators of his day.

      While working as an illustrator for the publishing house of Harper and Brothers, New York City, Abbey began to create illustrations for the poems of Robert Herrick (Herrick, Robert) in 1874. He went on to create illustrations for some of the works of Oliver Goldsmith (Goldsmith, Oliver) and William Shakespeare (Shakespeare, William).

      He moved to England in 1878, where he would remain for the rest of his life. He was elected in 1883 to the Royal Institute of Painters in Water-Colours. In 1884 Abbey turned to oil painting and specialized in large literary and historical works encompassing the various period revivals then in fashion: medieval, Shakespearean, and 17th century. He was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1896 and an academician two years later. He became a member of the National Academy of Design in 1902. Abbey's later works include decorative schemes for several public buildings, among them the state capitol at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as well as the royal commission in 1902 to paint the coronation of King Edward VII of England. A celebrated success in England, Abbey also maintained a prestigious reputation in the United States.

Additional Reading

Yale University Art Gallery, Edwin Austin Abbey (1852–1911) (1973).

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