Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/622

586 LA FARGE, John, artist, b. in New York city, 31 March, 1835. He was a pupil of William M. Hunt, and has been an earnest student of European art during the numerous trips he has taken to Europe. Mr. La Farge was first a draughtsman on wood, then a painter of flowers, landscapes, and portraits, and then a decorator of church interiors and a mural painter on biblical themes. As a draughtsman the illustrations that he contributed to an edition of "Enoch Arden," to "Songs from the Old Dramatists," and those published in the "Riverside Magazine," are remarkable for their beauty, and show the close sympathy of the artist with his subject. He established his reputation as a brilliant colorist and idealist by superb compositions of flowers and ideal groups as well as illustrations. Mr. La Farge was one of the first to admire Japanese art, and to call public attention to it by his writings. In 1886 he visited that empire. His most important recent work has been in the direction of decorative art and glass-painting. In the latter he has not only rivalled the colors of the finest mediaeval stained-glass windows, but he has been able to perfect an unsurpassed method of leading, in which the mechanical means are made to contribute to the rendering of details and the general effect. He was elected a National academician in 1869, and is also a member of the Society of American artists. Among his leading decorative works, the interior of Trinity church in Boston, perhaps, takes precedence, although the painting and other decoration of the chancel of St. Thomas's in New York have a high value artistically. His other church work includes "The Adoration of the Wise Men" in the Church of the incarnation, and "The Ascension " in the chancel of the church of that name in New York city: also the chancel of Trinity church in Buffalo, N. Y. Much of the interior decorations, notably the staircase windows and ceilings of the Vanderbilt mansion, and also the paintings for the music-room in the residence of Whitelaw Reid, are by Mr. La Farge. The "Battle Window," in the Memorial hall at Harvard (1880), is one of his most brilliant successes in colored glass. His latest and most elaborate achievement in this material is the Ames memorial window at Easton, Mass. (1887). His paintings include "New England Pasture-Land," "View over Newport," "A Gray Day," "A Snowy Day," "The Triumph of Love," "The Last Valley," "St. Paul," "The Wolf-Charmer," and " Sleeping Beauty."

LAFAYETTE, Marie Jean Paul Joseph Roche Yves Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de, French soldier, b. at the castle of Chavagnac, in Auvergne, 6 Sept., 1757 ; d. in Paris, 20 May, 1834. The family has been for more than three centuries distinguished in French history. The subject of this article was son of Michel Roche Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, colonel of grenadiers, who was killed in the battle of Minden, 1 Aug., 1759, and Marie Louise, daughter of Joseph Yves Hyacinthe, Marquis de la Riviere. In 1768 he was taken by his mother to Paris, and entered the College of Louis-le-Grand. In 1770 the death of his mother and grandfather left him with a very large fortune. He became a page to the queen Marie Leczinska, and through her influence received a lieutenant's commission in the royal musketeers, a body of soldiers charged with the defence of the king's person. He married, 11 April, 1774. Anastasie Adrienne de Noailles. second daughter of the Duke d'Ayen, afterward Duke de Noailles. Having been commissioned a captain of artillery in a regiment stationed at Metz, toward the end of 1776 he happened to meet at dinner the Duke of Gloucester, brother of George III., and heard .of the Declaration of Independence and other events that had lately occurred in the United States. An enthusiastic sentiment of devotion to "liberty" and the "rights of man" was then growing up among youthful Frenchmen in all classes of society. Many young officers were eager to go to America, some from an intelligent interest in the cause at stake there, others from a love of romantic adventure or a desire to strike a blow at the English in revenge for the disasters of the Seven years' war. This last motive was strongly operative at court, though opinion was far from unanimous there. Louis XVI. had no sympathy with Americans or with rebels, and was fond of repeating the humorous remark of his brother-in-law, Joseph II.: "I am a royalist by my trade, you know." The policy of Choiseul, however, which would leave no stone unturned to undo the work of the Seven years' war and weaken the colonial empire of England, found favor with Marie Antoinette, as well as with Count Vergennes, the able minister of foreign affairs. Caution was needed, however. It was no part of the policy of Vergennes to run the risk of a quarrel with Great Britain until it should become quite clear that the American alliance was, from a military point of view, worth having. For the present, accordingly, he contented himself with sending secret aid to the Americans in the shape of money, arms, and ammunition. This aid was furnished through the agency of the famous author, Beaumarchais (q. v.), and in such a manner that the government might officially pretend to be ignorant of what was going on. In this surreptitious way as early as the spring of 1777 a large quantity of military stores had been conveyed to America, and had been followed by such officers as Pulaski, La Rouerie, and some fifty others. The Duke of Montmorency-Laval and other young nobles asked the king's permission to go to America ; but it was refused, and for the sake of keeping up appearances the refusal had some- thing of the air of a reprimand. It was necessary, therefore, for Lafayette to proceed with caution when he made up his mind, as the result of the conversation at Metz, to cross the ocean and offer his services to congress. He consulted with the Baron de Kalb, who was cherishing a similar intention. De Kalb introduced him to Silas Deane, who gave him, 7 Dec, 1776, a letter of introduction to congress, in which he alluded to the great dignity and influence of Lafayette's family, and asked for him a major-general's commission. Lafayette now proceeded secretly and at his own expense to fit out a vessel at Bordeaux, but his preparations were somewhat delayed by the necessity of making a journey to London in company with the Prince de Poix. He did not think it best to decline the invitation to this journey for fear of exciting suspicion as to his real plans. While at London, hearing of Washington's victories at Trenton and Princeton, he expressed such keen pleasure as to attract the notice of Lord Shelburne, the warm friend of the Americans. Madame de Lafayette's uncle, the Marquis de Noailles, was then the French ambassador at the court of St. James, and every word and action of his young visitor was sure to be carefully watched and weighed. After three weeks he returned secretly to Paris, leaving it to be supposed that he was still in England, while, to keep up the concealment as long as possible, the Marquis de Noailles explained his non-appearance in society by spreading a report that he was slightly ill.

After three days at De Kalb's house in Paris,