Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 1.djvu/68

 residence at Bandra, outside the island, where he entertained Sir Richard and Lady Burton in 1876. He had already been initiated into Oriental literature by Edward Rehatsek, an eccentric but learned Hungarian, who led the life of a faqir at Bombay. Shortly after his return to England Arbuthnot associated himself with Burton in founding the Kama Shastra Society, for the issue to private subscribers of unexpurgated translations of Oriental classics. He was himself active in procuring the translation of Jāmi's 'Behāristan' and of S'adi's 'Gulistān'; and to him Burton dedicated the fourth volume of his 'Arabian Nights,' commending his critical appreciation of Oriental literature, which enabled him 'to detect the pearl which lurks in the kitchen-midden.' Arbuthnot's own books were in the nature of popular compilations, the two most important being 'Persian Portraits' (1887), and 'Arabic Authors' (1890). A work of more permanent value was his inauguration, in 1891, of a new series of the 'Oriental Translation Fund,' which he started with some translations by Rehatsek, and which was continued after his death through his munificence. He was a member of council and also a trustee of the Royal Asiatic Society, and he took a prominent part in organising the reception of the International Congress of Orientalists that met in London in 1892. He was given to hospitality both at his town house in Park Lane and at his country residence near Guildford. He took a lively interest in his village neighbours, and his memory is preserved by the Arbuthnot Institute, Shemley Green, under the charge of the Wonersh parish council. He died in London on 25 May 1901. In 1879 he married Ellinor, daughter of Admiral Sir [q. v.] and widow of James Alexander Guthrie of Craigie, Forfarshire, who survived him until 9 May 1911. There were no children of the marriage.



ARCHER, JAMES (1823–1904), painter, born in Edinburgh on 10 June 1823, was eldest child of Andrew Archer, dentist in Edinburgh, who married Ann Cunningham Gregory, and by her had two sons and two daughters. The younger son, Andrew, was the author of a history of Canada (1876), while the youngest child, Georgina, was the founder of the Victoria Institute, Berlin, and tutoress of the German Emperor William II, Prince Henry, and Princess Charlotte of Prussia. After education at Edinburgh High School, James studied art at the Trustees' Academy, while Sir [q. v.] was at its head, with [q. v.] as his assistant. Archer's generation thus immediately preceded that which studied under [q. v.], although he outlived and outworked many of Lauder's pupils. He was elected an associate of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1850, and he became a full member in 1858. The life-class in that year passed from the Trustees' School to the control of the Scottish Academy, and (Sir) [q. v. Suppl. II], [q. v.], and Archer were appointed visitors. Their report on the conduct of the life-class insisted on drawing as opposed to colour in the training, a recommendation which Lauder appears to have regarded as a reflection on his own methods (cf., Life of Pettie, p. 12). While resident in Edinburgh, Archer showed his versatility in the many pictures which he exhibited at the Scottish Academy; these included 'The Child John in the Wilderness' (exhibited 1842); 'The Messiah' (1846); 'The Condemned Souls Crossing the River Acheron' and 'The Last Supper' (1849); 'Douglas Tragedy' and 'Mary Magdalene at the Sepulchre' (1850); 'The Mistletoe Bough' and 'Burger's Leonora' (1852); 'Hamlet' (1853); 'Rosalind and Celia,' his diploma work (1854); 'The Last Supper' (1856), and the first (1861) of several scenes from the 'Mort d'Arthur.' In these years he also painted many portraits in oils, and until his migration to London had a large practice in portraiture in chalks; among his sitters were Professor Aytoun and Alexander Smith.

In 1862-3 Archer gave up his Edinburgh studio, 2 York Place, and removed to London, He resigned at the time his lieutenancy in the artists' company of the city of Edinburgh artillery volunteers, in which, under the captaincy of Sir Noel Paton, with John Faed as first lieutenant, was enrolled every artist of note in Edinburgh at that time. He was also a member of the Smashers Sketching Club, which he helped to revive in London later under the name of the Auld Lang Syne Sketching Club (see Chambers's Journal, January 1906).

In London, settling first at 21 Phillimore Gardens, and after 1882 at 7 Cromwell Place, he diligently contributed to the Royal Academy, to which he had sent pictures since 1850, and where he continued to exhibit until 1900, missing one year