Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/410

 SMILLIE

SMILLIE

years took a leading part in its exhibitions and was its treasurer and on its board of control for several years. In 1S85 he received a prize from the American Art association for a hvrge water color, Scpt'-mluT on the Xew England Coast. He w:is recording secretary of the National Academy of Desiijn for ten yiars. retiring in 1902. In 1898 he visited Northern Italy, bringing back many sketches from the Italian Lakes, a num- l)er of which formed subjects for his late pic- tures.

SMILLIE, James, landscape engraver, was burn in E.linl.ur.-li. .Scotland. Nov. 23, 1807. Tiie son of a silversmith, he was apprenticed to James Johnston, general engraver in Edinburgh, 1819, but before the expiration of a year Johnston died. For a short time after that event he was under the instruction of Edward Mitchell, another en- graver of Edinburgh. In 1831 his father emi- grated with his family to Quebec, and there e.s- tablished himself as a manufacturing jeweller, his .son James doing the engraving of all kinds required, and making ambitious efforts to do pictorial engraving. In 1827 Lord Dalhousie, at that time governor-general of Canada, became interested in him, and gave him free passage on a government ship from Quebec to Poi'tsmouth, England. From officers of the English regiments stationed in Quebec lie had letters of introduction to eminent engravers in London. He found, on presenting these, letters, that the fees required for instruction were far in excess of his slender means. He then went to Edinburgh, and for five months was under instruction from Andrew Wilson, an engraver of moderate ability. He returned to Quebec in 1828, visited New York in 1829, and settled there permanently in 1830. In that year he engraved '"Convent Gate. Palestrina, near Rome " after a painting by Robert W. Weir, which at once secured for him favorable notice. He engraved a series of views in New York city, after drawings by Charles Burton (1830-32) and a numljer of plates for the New York Mirror (1832- 36). He was identified very early with the special work of engraving " dies," or vignette pictures, for bank notes. In 1832 he married Catharine, daughter of Lambert aiid Mary (Pat- terson) Van Valkenburgh. He had four sons and three daughters. His eldest son. James D. (q.v.), under his tuition became a skilful engraver. His s^m George H. made a reputation as a landscape painter. His best known engravings are: Gar- den of Eden. Thomas Cole (1831); Departure of the Israelites from Er/t/pt, David Roberts (1845); Dream of Arcadia, Thomas Cole (1850); Dover Plains, A. R. Durand (1851); Ajnerican Har- vesting, J. F. Cropsey (1851); Mount Washing- ton, John F. Kensett (1851); Voyage of Life, Thomas Cole, four plates, Infancy, Youth,

Manhood and Old Age (1853-55); Nutting, William Hart (1857); Shady Nook, J. W. Casi- lear (1858); Sunny Hours, A. D. Shattuck (18.58); Maternal Affection. A. F. Tait (1859): Remi- niscence of the Catskills, John F. Kensett (1859); Fog on Loon Lake. James M. Hart (18.59) and Tlie Rocky Mountains, after A. Bienstadt (1865). The last named plate (17 x 28) was his crowning work, and is the most important land- scape engraving that has been executed in this country. In May, 1901, a unique collection of proofs from his work, numbering nearly 400 plates and bank note " dies." represented by more than 550 prints, was presented to the Print De- partment of the New York public lilirary. by his son, James D. Smillie. He died in Ponghkoepsie, N.Y.. Dec. 5, 1885.

SMILLIE, James David, artist, was born in New York city, Jan. 16, 1833; son of James (q.v.) and Catliarine (Van Valkenburgh) Smillie. He was educated at private schools, at the academic department of the University of the City of New York and at the schools of the Na- tional Academy of Design. He studied steel engraving with his father; traveled abroad; in 1864 took up landscape paint- ing in oil and water- color, and in that year first exhibited at the National Acad- emy of Design. He was elected an asso- ciate in 1865, and an

academician in 1870,

and was its treas- urer, 1894-99. He was one of the founders of the American Water-Color society in 1866, its treas- urer, 1860-73 and its president, 1873-78. With Le- roy M. Yale, he organized the New York Etching club in 1878; was its secretary-treasurer, 1878-79, and president, 1880-83. In 1882 he was elected an " Original Fellow " of the Painter-Etcher so- ciety of London. England. He organized and was given charge of the department of free-hand etching in the schools of the National Academy of Design, under the Baldwin fund. Before he abandoned engraving he had done much " die work " for the bank note companies and for the U.S. government, also book illustrations, notably for an edition of Cooper's novels, after designs by F. O. C. Darley. Later, after abandoning the conventional forms of engraving, he made many " reproductive etchings "' after paintings by Winslow Homer {A Voice from the Cliff); Eastman Johnson {A Glass with the Squire); F.

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