Wilfrid Ball
natural trend of his opinions; he was able, without Academy; and during the next twelve years he
having to struggle against a system of education acquired so much proficiency in this branch of
in which he did not believe, to develop his own practice that he gained, for some Thames-side
personal creed, and to make the most of his in- subjects, the warm praise of Mr. Whistler, and, in
stinctive inclinations towards particular forms of 1889, an honourable mention for his Venice from
expression. the Lido, shown in the Paris Salon. Still, the
Fortunately he was by no means wanting in greater part of the work he has done during the
determination. He had an energetic temperament, twenty years of his career as an artist has been in
and was physically a strong man, an athlete, a water-colour, and he ranks now high among the
noted member of the London Athletic Club, and men who are to-day noted for their skill in this
the winner of quite an array of prizes for running, medium. His digressions into oil-painting have
walking, rowing, and other sports of the same type, been few but important, for both at the Academy
His force of character was great enough to make and New Gallery he has occasionally shown large
his progress in the profession of art quite a rapid canvases, one of which, Sleepy Holland, a brilliant
affair. In 1877, indeed, while he was still tied to study of evening colour, was at the New Gallery
his City desk, he exhibited an etching at the as recently as 1897.
As a rule, however, he
sends but little to the larger
a number of records of
English scenery, attractive
renderings of pretty bits in
the Eastern Counties and
; frfcTW^tfr*r " ' Surrey, on the Norfolk
Broads, at Durham, York,
Lincoln, and Ely, and on
the Yorkshire coast. These
" petergate, york " from a water-colour by Wilfrid ball drawings, like the others by
natural trend of his opinions; he was able, without Academy; and during the next twelve years he
having to struggle against a system of education acquired so much proficiency in this branch of
in which he did not believe, to develop his own practice that he gained, for some Thames-side
personal creed, and to make the most of his in- subjects, the warm praise of Mr. Whistler, and, in
stinctive inclinations towards particular forms of 1889, an honourable mention for his Venice from
expression. the Lido, shown in the Paris Salon. Still, the
Fortunately he was by no means wanting in greater part of the work he has done during the
determination. He had an energetic temperament, twenty years of his career as an artist has been in
and was physically a strong man, an athlete, a water-colour, and he ranks now high among the
noted member of the London Athletic Club, and men who are to-day noted for their skill in this
the winner of quite an array of prizes for running, medium. His digressions into oil-painting have
walking, rowing, and other sports of the same type, been few but important, for both at the Academy
His force of character was great enough to make and New Gallery he has occasionally shown large
his progress in the profession of art quite a rapid canvases, one of which, Sleepy Holland, a brilliant
affair. In 1877, indeed, while he was still tied to study of evening colour, was at the New Gallery
his City desk, he exhibited an etching at the as recently as 1897.
As a rule, however, he
sends but little to the larger
a number of records of
English scenery, attractive
renderings of pretty bits in
the Eastern Counties and
; frfcTW^tfr*r " ' Surrey, on the Norfolk
Broads, at Durham, York,
Lincoln, and Ely, and on
the Yorkshire coast. These
" petergate, york " from a water-colour by Wilfrid ball drawings, like the others by