Huneker, James Gibbons

▪ American art critic and writer

born Jan. 31, 1860, Philadelphia

died Feb. 9, 1921, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.

      U.S. critic of music, art, and literature, a leading exponent of impressionistic criticism. His perceptive comments and brilliant style won him a wide audience in both Europe and the United States.

      Huneker studied piano in Philadelphia, Paris, and New York, taught piano at the National Conservatory of Music, New York City, 1886–98, and was musical and dramatic critic for the New York Recorder and Morning Advertiser. He joined the New York Sun in 1900, the Times in 1918, and the World in 1919. His published works include: Chopin: The Man and His Music (1900); Overtones: A Book of Temperaments (1904); Iconoclasts: A Book of Dramatists (1905); Franz Liszt (1911); Egoists: A Book of Supermen (1909); and Ivory Apes and Peacocks (1915). He also wrote a novel, Painted Veils (1920), and two collections of short stories, Melomaniacs (1902) and Visionaries (1905). Autobiographical material may be found in Old Fogy (1913) and Steeplejack (1920). Two volumes of his letters were published in 1922 and 1924.

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