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= Howard_Pyle =
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Introduction
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Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 - November 9, 1911) was an American
illustrator, painter, and author, primarily of books for young people.
He was a native of Wilmington, Delaware, and he spent the last year of
his life in Florence, Italy.
In 1894, he began teaching illustration at the Drexel Institute of
Art, Science, and Industry (now Drexel University). Among his students
there were Violet Oakley, Maxfield Parrish, and Jessie Willcox Smith.
After 1900, he founded his own school of art and illustration named
the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art. Scholar Henry C. Pitz
later used the term Brandywine School for the illustration artists and
Wyeth family artists of the Brandywine region, several of whom had
studied with Pyle. He had a lasting influence on a number of artists
who became notable in their own right; N. C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover,
Thornton Oakley, Allen Tupper True, Stanley Arthurs, and numerous
others studied under him.
His 1883 classic publication 'The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood'
remains in print, and his other books frequently have medieval
European settings, including a four-volume set on King Arthur. He is
also well known for his illustrations of pirates, and is credited with
creating what has become the modern stereotype of pirate dress.
He published his first novel 'Otto of the Silver Hand' in 1888. He
also illustrated historical and adventure stories for periodicals such
as 'Harper's Magazine' and 'St. Nicholas Magazine'. His novel 'Men of
Iron' was adapted as the movie 'The Black Shield of Falworth' (1954).
Pyle travelled to Florence, Italy in 1910 to study mural painting. He
died there in 1911 of a sudden kidney infection (Bright's disease).
Life
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Pyle was born in Wilmington, Delaware, the son of William Pyle and
Margaret Churchman Painter. As a child, he attended private schools
and was interested in drawing and writing from a very young age. He
was an indifferent student, but his parents encouraged him to study
art, particularly his mother. He studied for three years at the studio
of F. A. Van der Wielen in Philadelphia, and this constituted the
whole of his artistic training, aside from a few lessons at the Art
Students League of New York.
In 1876, he visited the island of Chincoteague off Virginia and was
inspired by what he saw. He wrote and illustrated an article about the
island and submitted it to 'Scribner's Monthly'. One of the magazine's
owners was Roswell Smith, who encouraged him to move to New York and
pursue illustration professionally. Pyle initially struggled in New
York; his lack of professional experience made it difficult for him to
translate his ideas into forms for publication. He was encouraged by
several working artists, however, including Edwin Austin Abbey, A. B.
Frost, and Frederick S. Church.
He finally published a double-paged spread in the 'Harper's Weekly'
issue of March 9, 1878 and was paid $75--five times what he had
expected. He became increasingly successful and was an established
artist by the time that he returned to Wilmington in 1880. Pyle
continued illustrating for magazines. He also collaborated on several
books, particularly in American history. He wrote and illustrated his
own stories, beginning with 'The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood' in
1883. This book won international attention from critics such as
William Morris. Over the following decades, he published many more
illustrated works for children, many of which are still in print
today.
Pyle married singer Anne Poole on April 12, 1881, and the couple had
seven children. In 1889, he and his wife sailed to Jamaica, leaving
their children in the care of relatives. While they were overseas,
their son Sellers died unexpectedly. This loss likely inspired his
children's book 'The Garden Behind the Moon', which is about death and
bears the dedication: "To the little Boy in the Moon Garden This Book
is dedicated by His Father."
From 1894 to 1900, he taught illustration at the Drexel Institute. In
1900, he created his own school in Wilmington where he taught a small
number of students in depth. In 1903, Pyle painted his first murals
for the Delaware Art Museum. He took up mural painting more seriously
in 1906 and painted 'The Battle of Nashville' in Saint Paul, as well
as two other murals for courthouses in New Jersey (the Essex and
Hudson County Courthouses).
Pyle developed his own ideas for illustrating pirate dress, as few
examples existed of authentic pirate outfits and few, if any, drawings
had been preserved. He created a flamboyant style incorporating
elements of Romani dress. His work influenced the design of costumes
for movie pirates from Errol Flynn to Johnny Depp. It has been noted
as highly impractical for working sailors.
In 1910, Pyle and his family went to Italy where he planned to study
the old masters. Suffering poor health, he felt depressed and drained
of energy. After one year in the country, he suffered a kidney
infection and died in Florence at the age of 58.
In 1937 his niece, Caroline Ashton Pyle, married his student N. C.
Wyeth's son Nathaniel Convers Wyeth.
Major works
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Pyle wrote and illustrated a number of books, in addition to numerous
illustrations done for 'Harper's Weekly', other periodical
publications, and various works of fiction for children and young
adults.
''The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood''
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Pyle synthesized many traditional Robin Hood legends and ballads in
this work, while toning them down to make them suitable for children.
For instance, he modified the late 17th century ballad "Robin Hood's
Progress to Nottingham", changing it from Robin killing fourteen
foresters for not honoring a bet to Robin defending himself against an
attempt on his life by one of the foresters. Pyle has Robin kill only
two men, one who shoots at him first when he was a youth, the other a
hated assassin named Guy of Gisborne whom the Sheriff sent to slay
him. Tales are changed in which Robin steals all that an ambushed
traveler carried, such as "Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford", so
that the victim keeps a third and another third is dedicated to the
poor.
Pyle did not have much concern for historical accuracy, but he renamed
the queen in the story "Robin Hood and Queen Katherine" as Eleanor (of
Aquitaine). This made her compatible historically with King Richard
the Lion-Hearted, with whom Robin eventually makes peace.
Many of the tales in the Robin Hood book dated to the late Middle
Ages. His achievement was to integrate them into a unified story,
which he also illustrated. For example, he included "Robin Hood and
the Curtal Friar" in the narrative order to reintroduce Friar Tuck. He
needed a cooperative priest for the wedding of outlaw Allan a Dale to
his sweetheart Ellen. In the original "A Gest of Robyn Hode", the life
is saved of an anonymous wrestler who had won a bout but was likely to
be murdered because he was a stranger. Pyle adapted it and gave the
wrestler the identity of David of Doncaster, one of Robin's band in
the story "Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow". In his novelistic
treatment of the tales, he thus developed several characters who had
been mentioned in only one ballad, such as David of Doncaster or
Arthur a Bland.
''Men of Iron''
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'Men of Iron' is an 1891 novel about squire Myles Falworth who hopes
to become a knight, thereby redeeming his family's honor. His father
was falsely implicated in a plot to kill King Henry IV. The adventure
tale follows Myles through his intensive training for knighthood and
ends with him becoming a knight and challenging the wicked Lord
Brookhurst Alban to trial by combat.
The novel was adapted into the 1954 film 'The Black Shield of
Falworth' starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.
Other works
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* 'Otto of the Silver Hand', about the son of a robber baron during
the medieval period.
* 'Rejected of Men: A Story of To-day' (1903), setting the story of
Jesus as if it had occurred during early twentieth-century America.
* 'Portfolio of Etchings': In 1903 the Bibliophile Society of Boston
commissioned Pyle to create a series of paintings of scholars and
bibliophiles for a limited, four-volume set of books titled 'The
bibliomania, or book-madness'. The paintings proved popular and the
Bibliophile Society commissioned American engraver to create copper
etched copies of Pyle's five oil paintings from 'The Bibliomania'
books. The etched prints in the 'Portfolio of Etchings' from the
Special Collections and Archives at Albertsons Library, BSU, portray
the following literary figures:
File:Richard_de_Bury_and_the_Young_Edward_III.jpg|Richard de Bury and
the Young Edward III
File:Caxton_at_his_Press.jpg|Caxton at his Press
File:Erasmus_reading_to_Colet_and_More.jpg|Erasmus reading to Colet
and More
The remaining etchings are titled: “Friar” Bacon in His Study, and
"Izaak" Walton
* 'The Wonder Clock' (1887), a collection of twenty-four tales, one
for each hour of the day. Each tale was prefaced by a whimsical verse
telling of traditional household goings-on at that hour. His sister
Katharine Pyle wrote the verses. Pyle created the tales based on
traditional European folktales.
* '[
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15664/15664-h/15664-h.htm Pepper
and Salt, or Seasoning for Young Folk]', traditional tales for younger
readers which he also illustrated.
* After his death, a publisher collected a number of his pirate
stories and illustrations and published them as
'[
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/26862/26862-h/26862-h.htm Howard
Pyle's Book of Pirates]' (1921).
File:Pyle pirate handsome.jpg|'Buccaneer of the Caribbean', from
'Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates'
File:Pyle pirates treasfight.jpg|Pirates fight in 'Who Shall Be
Captain?', 1911, from 'Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates'
Critical response
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Pyle was widely respected during his life and continues to be well
regarded by illustrators and fine artists. His contemporary Vincent
van Gogh wrote in a letter to his brother Theo that Pyle's work
"struck me dumb with admiration."
Pyle's reputation stems from his innovation in form and illustration,
creating an American school of illustration and art, and for the
revival of children's books. His illustrations are vivid and
imaginative, yet not overly fantastic or contrived, lending them an
air of colorful realism. 'Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism' notes:
As time passed, Pyle's historical position as the founder of a
distinctly American school of illustration and art, as the innovator
who introduced the total-design approach, and as the great reinventor
of children's books, would outshine any single work he did, so that he
is remembered less for any one project than for his total stance.
He had a lasting influence on a number of artists who became notable
in their own right. Some of his more notable students were N. C.
Wyeth, Frank Schoonover, Elenore Abbott, Ethel Franklin Betts, Anna
Whelan Betts, Harvey Dunn, Clyde O. DeLand, Philip R. Goodwin,
Thornton Oakley, Violet Oakley, Ellen Bernard Thompson Pyle, Olive
Rush, Blanche Grant, Ethel Leach, Allen Tupper True, Elizabeth Shippen
Green, Arthur E. Becher, William James Aylward, Jessie Willcox Smith,
and Charlotte Harding. Pyle taught his students at his home and studio
in Wilmington, which is still standing and is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. Pyle was an early member of The Franklin
Inn Club in Philadelphia.
According to Robert Vitz, the Howard Pyle School of Art developed a
common set of themes in its work: attention to realism and expression
of optimism and a faith in the goodness of America. His work also
continued to inspire well after his death; for example, comic book
artist Tony Harris (born 1969) has cited Pyle as a major influence on
his work.
Pyle is remembered primarily as an illustrator, but his books have
also been analyzed for their literary qualities, particularly 'The
Merry Adventures of Robin Hood'. Taimi M. Ranta and Jill P. May have
examined their influence on children's literature. May writes from a
feminist sensibility. Susan F. Beegel has studied his influence on
Ernest Hemingway. Alethia Helbig has reviewed his poetry, which since
his death has not been as highly valued as it was in his own time.
Malcolm Usrey wrote that 'Otto of the Silver Hand'
has all the marks of a good historical novel: it has an exciting
plot, with ample conflict and believable characters; it uses language
and dialect appropriate to its setting and the characters; it has a
significant, universal theme, and it presents the details of daily
life in Germany of the thirteenth century accurately and
unobtrusively, making the period real and alive.
Selected bibliography
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Unless noted otherwise, all titles are listed in 'The Dictionary of
American Biography'.
* 'The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood' (1883)
* 'Within the Capes' (1885)
*
'[
https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=15664
Pepper and Salt; or, Seasoning for Young Folk]' (1886)
* 'The Rose of Paradise' (1888)
* 'The Wonder Clock' (1888), with his sister Katharine Pyle
* 'Otto of the Silver Hand' (1888)
* 'A Modern Aladdin' (1892)
* 'Men of Iron' (1892)
* 'Twilight Land' (1895)
* 'The Story of Jack Ballister's Fortunes' (1895)
* 'The Garden Behind the Moon' (1895)
* 'The Ghost of Captain Brand' (1896)
* 'Washington' (Text by Woodrow Wilson, then a history professor;
published in 1897)
* 'Story of the Revolution' (Text by Henry Cabot Lodge; published in
1898)
* 'The Price of Blood' (1899)
* 'History of the American People' (Text by Woodrow Wilson; published
in 1902)
* 'Rejected of Men' (1903)
* 'The Story of King Arthur and His Knights' (1903)
* 'The Story of the Champions of the Round Table' (1905)
* 'The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions' (1907)
* 'The Story of the Grail and the Passing of King Arthur' (1910)
* 'Stolen Treasure' (1907)
* 'The Ruby of Kishmoor' (1908)
* 'Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates' (A collection of previously
published material, assembled in 1921)
See also
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* Delaware Art Museum
* Le Trésor de Rackham le Rouge
* National Museum of American Illustration
Further reading
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*
*
*
* [
http://www.classicreader.com/read.php/bookid.1551/ Etext of
'Twilight Land']
* [
http://pyle.thefreelibrary.com/ Pyle biography and etext of 'Robin
Hood']
External links
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*
[
https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Pyle%2c%20Howard%2c%201853%2d1911
Online Books by Howard Pyle] at Online Books Page
*
*
*
* [
http://www.americanartarchives.com/pyle,h.htm Howard Pyle artwork
at American Art Archives]
* [
http://www.germanicmythology.com/works/PYLE1905.html 'Thor and
Hymir's Fishing']. Illustration for 'Harper's Magazine', 1902.
License
=========
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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Pyle
