Basil Somerset Long

“ As early as 1854 Pritchett was using his three-grooved rifle of his own invention. The abolition of the East India Company in 1858 deprived Pritchett's firm of its principal customer, and he sought other interests; but for some years he kept in touch with military rifle matters (partly through the Victoria Rifles, which corps he joined at its foundation in 1853) , and he lectured on gunlocks and rifles at the Working Men's College and elsewhere. ”

“ After education at a school in Chelsea, he apprenticed himself to a seedsman and market-gardener at Brompton. At the end of a year he forfeited his premium in order to study music, but finally decided on painting, and worked for some years under John Absolon, a member of the New Water Colour Society (now the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours) . Of that society he was himself elected an associate in 1847 and a member in 1849. ”

“ Educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, Lawes was placed in the third class of the natural sciences tripos in 1865, and graduated B.A. next year. Of splendid physique, he excelled in athletics both at school and college. At Eton he won the first prize for the 10 yards, hurdle race, quarter-mile, mile, steeplechase, sculls, and pair oars. At Cambridge he was the chief amateur athlete of his period. ”

“ STARK, ARTHUR JAMES (1831–1902) , painter, born in Beaufort Street, Chelsea, on 6 Oct. 1831, was the only son of James Stark [q. v.] , the landscape painter, by his wife Elizabeth Young Dinmore. An artistic aptitude was early fostered by lessons from his father. Between 1839 and 1849, when the family was residing at Windsor, young Stark studied animal painting under Edmund Bristow [q. v.] , an intimate friend of the family, and acquired a love of the Thames valley, where he found the subjects of many of his pictures. ”

“ Coleman was destined for a surgeon, but beyond giving very occasional assistance to his father, he saw no practice. He early developed a keen interest in natural history, and in 1859 he published 'Our Woodlands. Heaths, and Hedges,' and in 1860 'British Butterflies,' both books running through several editions. He drew his own illustrations, and at the same time collaborated with Harrison Weir, Joseph Wolf, and other well-known artists in illustrating books from other pens, chiefly on natural history. ”

“ MACCALLUM, ANDREW (1821–1902) , landscape painter, born at Nottingham in 1821, of Highland descent, was son of an employé at Messrs. William Gibson & Sons' hosiery manufactory in that town. Living in boyhood near Sherwood Forest, he early developed a love of landscape art, of which his family disapproved. Being apprenticed against his will to his father's business, he devoted his leisure to drawing, and was encouraged by Thomas Bailey [q. v.] ”

“ Special exhibitions of his paintings were held at the Dudley Gallery in 1866 (6 water-colours and 29 oils, including his large 'Charlemagne Oak, Forest of Fontainebleau,' and 'A Glade in Sherwood Forest') and at Nottingham in 1873. His 'Sultry Eve' was shown at the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia in 1876. His reputation rests mainly upon his woodland subjects, but he also produced imaginative compositions such as 'The Eve of Liberty' (1876) . He endeavoured to exemplify in his paintings the compatibility of breadth and detail. ”

“ Le Jeune himself showed pronounced musical tastes, but at an early age he evinced a desire to become an artist, and was sent to study at the British Museum. In 1834 he was admitted as a student at the Royal Academy schools; there, after obtaining four silver medals in succession, he was awarded the gold medal in 1841 for his painting of 'Samson bursting his Bounds,' which was shown at the British Institution in the following year. ”

“ A water-colour drawing of 'Calves' is at the Victoria and Albert Museum; three water-colours, 'Interior of a Windmill (on Reigate Heath) fitted up as a Chapel,' 'Windmill and Cottage,' and 'Heath Scene,' are at the British Museum, and an oil painting of 'Dartmoor Ponies' is in the Norwich Castle Museum. ”

“ Alfred was educated firstly at a private school and subsequently at University College School, London. He learnt drawing at a private academy and landscape painting of William Bennett (1811–1871) , water-colour artist. As a young man he supported himself by drawing on wood for book illustrations. ”

“ One of his early paintings of scriptural subjects, 'Ye Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul' (1846) , is at the Royal Museum and Art Galleries, Feel Park, Salford. The Royal Holloway College, Egham, has one of his genre pictures, 'Early Sorrow' (1869) ; and another, his 'Children with Toy Boat,' is in the Manchester City Art Gallery. He painted a few portraits. Le Jeune always lived in London, and resided for over forty years at Hampstead. In his last years deafness largely withdrew him from society. He was keenly interested in chess problems. ”

“ From 1845 to 1848 he was headmaster of the morning class at the government school of design at Somerset House, and from 1848 until 1864 curator of the painting school of the Royal Academy, an office which included the duty of giving instruction in painting. ”

“ After education at University College School, London, he was taught painting by John Rogers Herbert, R.A. [q. v.] , and John Pye [q. v.] the engraver gave him lessons in chiaroscuro. Making art his profession, he painted outdoor figure subjects and landscapes, especially views of Thames scenery, which were often enlivened with well-drawn figures ”

“ From that year till 1852 he was assistant master at the Manchester School of Art, and from 1852 to 1854 he was headmaster of the School of Art at Stourbridge, where he resided at the Old Parsonage, New Street. In 1854 he went to Italy with a travelling studentship awarded by the Science and Art Department. ”

“ In 1882 Richard Claude Belt, a sculptor of some repute, brought an action against Lawes for alleged libels in 'Vanity Fair' for 20 August 1881, and elsewhere. Lawes accused Belt of the fraudulent imposture of putting forward under his name sculpture executed by other persons. The case (Belt v. Lawes) , which excited immense attention, was opened before Baron Huddleston on 21 June 1882, and occupied the court for forty-three sittings. Leading artists were called as witnesses on each side. ”

“ He first exhibited in 1857 at the Society of British Artists, of which he was elected a member in 1864; many of his works appeared at its exhibitions, and forty-eight were shown at the Royal Academy between 1860 and 1904. ”

“ Art meanwhile became one of Pritchett's pursuits. He exhibited views of Belgium and Brittany at the Royal Academy as early as 1851 and 1852. He soon formed intimate friendships with John Leech [q. v.] , Charles Keene [q. v.] , and Birket Foster [q. v. Suppl. I] . Through (Sir) John Tenniel he joined the staff of 'Punch,' for which he executed some 26 drawings between 1863 and 1869. In 1865 he sketched in Skye and the Hebrides, and next year he executed 100 illustrations for Cassell, Petter & Gal pin. In 1868, after a visit to Holland, he received a commission for work from Messrs. ”

“ He also painted a few portraits. 'Still Life' (1852) and 'Sunday Afternoon' (cottage interiors) are at the Victoria and Albert Museum; 'Children Playing at Doctors' (1863) at the Bethnal Green Museum; 'Try This Pair' and 'Little Helpers' at the Corporation Art Gallery, Guildhall, London ”

“ In 1869 he began to experiment in pottery decoration; Minton's Art Pottery Studio in Kensington Gore was established under his direction in 1871, and he executed figure designs for Minton's ceramic ware. He died after a prolonged illness at 11 Hamilton Gardens, St. ”

“ He died at the Grand Hôtel, Ste. Maxime-sur-Mer, Var, France, on 19 March 1905, and was buried at Ste. Maxime. He married twice: (1) in 1863 Sarah, daughter of George Gregory of Salisbury, by whom he had no issue ”

“ Graves, Dict. of Artists and Roy. Acad. Exhibitors; Brit. Mus. Cat.; The Times, 20 June 1907; Encycl. Brit. 11th edit. (s. v. Rifle) ; E. H. Knight, Dict. of Mechanics, i. 401-2; Engl. Cycl. iv. 91; private information. ”