Edwin Austin Abbey (1852 - 1911)

Edwin Austin Abbey is born April 1, 1852 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He is a son of William Maxwell Abbey and Margery Ann Kiple.^[1]

He studies art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Abbey begins as an illustrator, producing numerous illustrations and sketches for such magazines as Harper's Weekly (1871–1874) and Scribner's Magazine. He moves to New York City in 1871. He also illustrates several best-selling books, including Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens (1875), Selections from the Poetry of Robert Herrick (1882), and She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith (1887). Abbey also illustrates a four-volume set of The Comedies of Shakespeare for Harper & Brothers in 1896.

He moves to England in 1878 and he settles permanently there in 1883. In 1883, he is elected to the Royal Institute of Painters in Water-Colours.

He also creates illustrations for Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer (1887), for a volume of Old Songs (1889), and for the comedies (and a few of the tragedies) of Shakespeare. Among his water-colours are "The Evil Eye" (1877), "The Rose in October" (1879), "An Old Song" (1886), "The Visitors" (1890), and "The Jongleur" (1892). Possibly his best known pastels are "Beatrice," "Phyllis," and "Two Noble Kinsmen."

In 1890 he makes his first appearance with an oil painting, "A May Day Morn," at the Royal Academy in London. He exhibites "Richard duke of Gloucester and the Lady Anne" there in 1896, and in that year is elected A.R.A., becoming a full member in 1898. In 1902 he is chosen to paint the coronation of King Edward VII. It was the official painting of the occasion and, hence, resides at Buckingham Palace. He receives knighthood, although some say he refused it in 1907.

He completed murals for the Boston Public Library in the 1890s.

He marries Mary Gertrude Mead on April 22, 1890 in Manhattan, New York, New York, United States.^[1][2][3]

Abbey dies August 1, 1911 in Chelsea, London, England, United Kingdom.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940, Edwin Austin Abbey and Mary Gertrude Mead, 22 Apr 1890; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York
2. ↑ England and Wales Census, 1901, Edwin A Abbey, Chelsea, London, England, United Kingdom; from "1901.
3. ↑ England and Wales Census, 1911, Edwin Austin Abbey, Fairford, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom.
4. ↑ England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007, Edwin A Abbey, 1911.

See also:

"England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPLW-7Y2Z : 17 September 2018), Edwin Austin Abbey, 3 Apr 1912; citing Probate, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Great Britain.

• Abbe-Abbey genealogy, in memory of John Abbe and his descendants by Abbe, Cleveland, 1838-1916; Nichols, Mary Josephine Genung, Published 1916; https://archive.org/stream/abbeabbeygenealo00abbe#page/n415/mode/2up
• Wikipedia - Edward Austin Abbey; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Austin_Abbey
• Encyclopedia Britannica; Edward Austin Abbey; https://www.britannica.com/topic/Royal-Academy-of-Arts
• Wikiart, Visual Art Encyclopedia, 23 artworks by Edwin Austin Abbey; https://www.wikiart.org/en/edwin-austin-abbey/all-works#!#filterName:all-paintings-chronologically,resultType:masonry