Page:Scottishartrevie01unse.djvu/229

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THE LATE JAMES SELLARS
191


The death of M. Longepied, the author of ' L'Immortalite,' at the age of 39, terminates, all too early, a brilliant career. He took a third-class medal in iSSo, one of the first class in 1SS2, and received the Prix de Salon for his group ' L'lmmortaliie ' (now in the Luxembourg) in the same year, being decorated with the ribbon of the Legion of Honour in 1S87. M. Longepied was a contributor to the recent International Exhibition, where he was represented by a bronze reduction of * L'Immortalite ' and by two panels in marble symbolic of the seasons, ' Spring ' and ' Autumn.' Their execution in marble, specially for the sculpture section, was, owing to pressure of time, most unfortunately intrusted to an Italian carver, with the result that beyond com- position no idea was obtained of the crisp beauty of the original terra-cottas as seen in the sculptor's studio. The recently unveiled statue of Danton was the artist's last work. Mr. Barrett Browning, who has definitely taken up his abode in Venice, is painting there a portrait of his father. The portrait is, we understand, an excellent likeness, one of the most satisfactory that has yet been taken of our great poet. The Royal Scottish Academy. — The new honorary mem- bers of the Academy are Josef Israels and the veteran William Bell Scott. The new A.R.S.A.'s are James Guthrie, George O. Reid, and Thomas Scott, The late colleagues at the British Museum of Sir Charles Newton, K.C.B., and his numerous admirers throughout the country, are subscribing to place in the British Museum a marble bust of the illustrious scholar. The bust will be placed in the gallery known as the Praxiteles Room, as a memorial that the priceless treasures of art collected there have beeu dug out of the Grecian soil by excavations conducted by Sir Charles Newton.

FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY MACLURE, MACDONALD. & CO

THE LATE JAMES SELEARS, ARCHITECT, GLASGOW.

THE death of Mr. James Sellars on the 9th of October last, at the early age of forty-five years, has caused througliout Scotland a widespread feeling of regret.

There is no architect north of the T^xeed liose work is better known or more appreciated, both by his professional brethren and the general public. He was trained in the office of Mr. Hugh Barclay, Glasgow, and after acting as assistant in a few local offices, was assumed as a partner by Mr. Campbell Douglas, with whom lie was associated up to the time of Jii.s deatli. Mr. Sellars possessed all the qualities which go to make a tliorough and succe.ss- ful arcliitect, ((uick to grasp all the points which were essential to the completing of liis design, and, by his power as a drauglitsman, which was almost unique, equally able to transfer liis ideas to paper ; his decision of character gave him a iudgment which seldom erred, and enabled him to carry out thoroughly an amount of work which to an ordinary arcliitect would have been an impossibility. At all times he was willing to aid in eery way the cause