Publisher's Synopsis
Henry Jackson van Dyke (November 10, 1852 - April 10, 1933) was an American author, educator, and clergyman. *Biography* Henry van Dyke was born on November 10, 1852, in Germantown, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Poly Prep Country Day School in 1869, Princeton University, in 1873 and from Princeton Theological Seminary, 1877. He served as a professor of English literature at Princeton between 1899 and 1923. Van Dyke chaired the committee that wrote the first Presbyterian printed liturgy, The Book of Common Worship of 1906. In 1908-09 Dr. van Dyke was a lecturer at the University of Paris.By appointment of President Woodrow Wilson, a friend and former classmate of van Dyke, he became Minister to the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1913. Shortly after his appointment, World War I threw Europe into dismay. Americans all around Europe rushed to Holland as a place of refuge. Although inexperienced as an ambassador, van Dyke conducted himself with the skill of a trained diplomat, maintaining the rights of Americans in Europe and organizing work for their relief. He later related his experiences and perceptions in the book Pro Patria (1921).Van Dyke resigned as ambassador at the beginning of December 1916 and returned to the United States. He was subsequently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and received many other honors. Van Dyke was a friend of Helen Keller. Keller writes, "Dr. van Dyke is the kind of a friend to have when one is up against a difficult problem. He will take trouble, days and nights of trouble, if it is for somebody else or for some cause he is interested in. 'I'm not an optimist, ' says Dr. van Dyke, 'there's too much evil in the world and in me. Nor am I a pessimist; there is too much good in the world and in God. So I am just a meliorist, believing that He wills to make the world better, and trying to do my bit to help and wishing that it were more.'"He died on April 10, 1933. He is buried in Princeton Cemetery.A biography of Van Dyke, titled Henry Van Dyke: A Biography, was written by his son Tertius van Dyke and published in 1935.. Taylor, Frank Walter (Philadelphia, 1874 - 1921) "Frank Walter Taylor worked almost exclusively with charcoal which he employed with a full tonal range from the white of the paper to rich blacks. His pictures give us an intimate view of social life of the times." Frank Walter Taylor: A major early twentieth century American illustrator, F. Walter Taylor first studied under his father, Frank H. Taylor, who had been a Civil War artist and correspondent. He continued his studies in 1896 at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. While there, Frank Taylor was awarded a traveling scholarship which enabled him to conclude his education in Paris. He then returned to Philadelphia in 1898 and established a studio there.During the following twenty years, Frank Walter Taylor was a leading illustrator of the American scene, and he regularly contributed his art to such national publications as "Harper's Monthly" and "Collier's." He also authored and illustrated a number of stories for leading periodicals. Frank Walter Taylor was a full member of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Society of Illustrators. He was awarded a Medal of Honor for Illustration at the Panama Pacific International Exposition in 1915. "Figure Study" is a brilliant example of Frank Walter Taylor's art. Concentrating all his artistic energies upon the pensive pose of a young man he has deliberately left his facial details vague while concentrating upon the rapid expression of his form. Only a most gifted illustrative artist could convey so much so simply.Provenance: This original Frank Walter Taylor drawing was formerly in the collection of the Benjamin West ...
