LA FARGE, brfiirzle, Jong (1835-1. An American landscape, figure, and decorative painter. Ile Nvas born iu New York, March 31, 1835. His father was a French officer who came to America in 1806, and La Fargo studied draw ing with his grandfather Binsse, a miniature painter. After receiving a liberal education, he went. abroad in 1856, and entered the studio of Couture in Paris. Upon his return to America, he entered a lawye•'s office in New York. At this time he met William M. "Hunt, who helped him to appreciate color as well as overcome many technical difficulties. In 1860 lie married Mar garet Perry, a great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin. Ile was elected a member of the National Academy in 1869. In 1876 he was engaged for the whole mural decoration of Trin ity Church, Boston, which was completed in 1877. In 1878 he commenced works in glass-painting and window-designing, and, with the assistance of Saint-Gaudens, built the "King sepulchral monument at Newport, U. 1. lit 1886 he went to Japan and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. be made many water-color sketches of na tive life and scenes. He painted in 1887 the large altar-pieee in the Church of the Ascen sion, New York, which is considered one of his finest works. He received the medal of the Legion of Honor at the Paris Exposition of 1889, for a stained-glass window. In 1892 lie gave a course of six lectures to the students of the Metropolitan .Museum, which have been published in hook form, tinder the title Consid crations on Painting (1895). During the last
few years he has contributed many valuable articles on art subjects to the leading magazines.
La Farge is one of the most versatile of American painters. His subjects include flowers, religions subjects. portraits. and landscapes; he has worked in oil, in water-•olor, on wood, and on glass. Ile has an individual style, and his technique is careful. though broad in brush work. Ilis color is varied, sometimes expressed with a charm that suggests all the opalescent qualities of a pearl; then again it is strong, with sharp and striking His drawing is good. His greatest contribution to art, besides the mural paintings, is his successful experi ments in glass cutting, painting. and designing.
kmong the best of his paintings, besides those mentioned. arc: "The Arrival of the Magi." Church of the Incarnation, New York: decora tions in the Brick Church. New York, and in the Congregational Church. Newport. R. I.; mural paintings in the Church of the Paulist Fathers, New York. This works in glass include: "The Infant Samuel," Judson Memorial Church. New York; "The 01(1 Philosopher," Crane Memorial Library. Quincy. Mass.; a circular mosaic window in the Second Presbyterian Church. Chicago; Watson memorial window. Trinity Curch. Buf falo: "Battle Window," Memorial Hall. Harvard College, Cambridge. Mass. Consult: Coffin, .1 In erica?' .Masters of Painting (New York, 1892) ; Waern, John La Fargo: Artist and Writcr (London, 1896).