Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/374

 WEIR

AVEITZEL

]V,isliington (1800; 11th ed., 1811); Gen. Francis Muriiis (ISOl); Betijamin Franklin, with Essays (1817). and William Penu (1819). See: "Old Churches and Old Families of Virginia," by Bishop William Meade (1857). He died in Beau- fort. S.C.. May t?:5. ISi?.-).

WEIR, John Ferg^uson, art educator, was born at West Point. X.Y.. Aug. 28, 1841 ; son of Profes- sor Robert Walter and Louisa (Ferguson) Weir. He was educated under the instruction of the U.S. Military academy, and studied art under his father (q.v.) until 1861, when he established him- self as an artist in New York city, becoming an associate of the National Academy of Design in 1804 by hisexhiliition of The Interior of an Artist's Studio, and an Academician in 1806, by liis can- vas, 77(0 Gun Foundry, exhibited at the Paris salon, 1867. He was married, May 17, 1806, to Mary, daughter of the Rev. Dr. John William and Clara (Miller) French, of West Point. In 1868 he completed The Forging of the Shaft (subsequently destroyed by fire), of which he made a cop.v exhibit at the Paris salon, 1878, and which finally became the property of the Metro- IX)litan Museum of Art. He spent the yeai's 1868-00 with his wife in Europe, and in the latter year became director of the Yale School of Fine Arts, and also professor of painting and design (named the William Leffiiigwell professorship in 1877), positions he still held in 1903. The lion- orary degree of M.A. was conferred upon him by Yale in 1871. His paintings, many of them ex- hibited in New Y'ork city, Philadelpliia and Paris, include : Sunset at West Point (1859) ; The Christinas Bell (1860); The Cidprit Fay (1861); By the Sea : Tapjnng the Furnace {1872); Return- ing from Work; Storm and Sunshine; The Con- fessional (1876); Christ on the Sea of Gennesaret ; Tlie Column of St. Marks, Venice (1887); and the portrait subjects: Dr. S. Wells Williams ilSS'd); Admiral Fnrragnt ; Eliphalet Nott ; Col. Brad- ford Alden ; Timothy Dtcight, and many others of the Yale faculty. In addition to the above, he also executed a statue of Benjamin Silliman (1779-1861), placed on the Yale grounds (1884), and a seated figure of Tlieodore S. Woolsey, on the Yale campus (1891). He is tiie author of: Tlie Way; the Nature and Means of Revelation (1889): Jf>hn Trumbull and His Works (1901); Human Drstiny in the Light of Revelation (1903).

WEIR, Julian Alden, artist, was born in West Point, N.Y., Aug. 30, 18.52 ; son of Robert Walter Weir (q.v.) and ^uisa (Ferguson) AVeir. He received instruction in art from his father ; was a pupil of Gerome, Paris, France, making a specialty of portraits and genre pieces, and estab- lished himsflf in New York cit}'. He received honorable mention at the Paris salon of 1881, and the prize of the American Art association in 1888.

He became an associate of the National Academy of Design, 1885 ; an academician, 1886, and was a founder of the Society of American Artists. Among his portrait subjects are : Robert W. Weir (1880); Warren Delano, and Olin L. Warner (1881); Richard Grant White (1883) ; Peter Coojier (1884); John Gilbert (1888). His other canvases include: ^1 Brittany Interior (ISlo); Brittany Peasant Girl (1877); Study of an Old Peasant (1877); Breton Interior (1878); The Muse of Music (1880): Jenne Fi lie and Good Samaritan (1881).

WEIR, Robert Walter, artist, was born in New Rochelle, N.Y., June 18, 1803 ; son of Robert and Mary Katherine (Brinkley) Weir; grandson of Walter and Eliza (?) (Stuart) Weir, and of Thomas and Mary (Clough) Brinkley, and a descendant of William Weir of Stirling, Scotland, who was in the war of 1745 against the Pretender. His father, Robert Weir (born Jan. 8, 1770, at Paisley, Scot- land, died, Feb. 5, 1825, at New Y'ork), was the first of the family to come to America, settling at New Rochelle, N.Y., about 1790. Robert Walter Weir attended the common schools; studied art in New York city, 1822-24 : in Florence, Italy, 1824-25, and in Rome, 1825-27. Upon his return he opened a studio in New York city, be- coming an Associate of the National Academy of Design, 1828, and an Academician, 1829. He was married, first, June 27, 1829. to Louisa, daughter of John and Alice Maria (Tanner) Ferguson of New York ; and secondly, July 15, 1846. to Susan, daughter of Lewis and Cornelia (Rhea) Bayard. He was professor of drawing in the United States Military academy. West Point, with the rank of colonel, serving from 1834 until retired by age limit. July 25, 1876. His canvases, dealing prin- cipally with historical subjects, include : The Bourbons' Last March ; Landing of Hendric Hudson (1842) ; Indian Captive ; Taking the Veil; Embarkation of the Pilgrims, now in the Capitol at Washington, D.C. (1845), with the proceeds of which Mr. Weir built the Church of the Holy In- nocents at Highland Falls, West Point ; his paint- ing of this church (1847) becoming the property of the Corcoran gallery, "Washington, D.C. ; The Evening of the Crucifi.vion (1867) : Virgil and Dante Crossing the Sty.v (1869); Christ in the Garden (1873); The Portico of the Palace of Oetavia, Rome (1870); Our Lord on the Mount of Olives (1877); Indian Falls (1878); Titian in his Studio ; Columhusbefore the Council of Salamanca (1884). He also painted a water-color entitled: Last Communion of Henry Clay, and several por- traits. He (lied in New York city. May 1, 1889.

WEITZEL, Godfrey, soldier, was born in Cin- cinnati, Ohio, Nov. 1, 1835. He was graduated at the U.S. Military academy, July 1, 1855 ; as- signed to the corps of engineers ; was commis- sioned 2d lieutenant, July 27, 1856, and was