Howard Pyle, a chronicle by Charles D. Abbott, with an introduction by N. C. Wyeth and many illustrations from Howard Pyle's works.

HOWARD PYLE: A CHRONICLE
and which hastened his death, which occurred a few days
later, on November 9, 1911I.
He had accomplished, however, his greatest mission in
life: he had been instrumental, along with Abbey, Frost, and
others of his early comrades, in raising the illustrative art in
America to a level which had been hitherto unknown. He
had by the consummate artistry of his own creative work and
by the energy of his teaching helped to lift it from the
tawdry commonplaceness in which he had found it in 187 6
to the flowering beauty in which he left it in 1 9"1. But in
another field he had done more, and perhaps without so
much conscious effort. Any child whose early years have
been colored by the Robin Hood or The Wonder Clock
or Men of Iron will not soon forget the pleasure which
Howard Pyle, has afforded him. The name of the author
of Robin Hood should be written high upon the roll of those
whom children love.
Nothing could be more fitting in conclusion than the closing words of Henry Mills Alden's glowing tribute to him
as they appeared in an edition of Harper's Magazine soon
after his death.
"Pyle. *. was first of all and always an illustrator. Because he was transcendently that, he was something more
than that, especially in his sense and handling of color and
in the spirit which animated and informed his creations. He
never failed to give his meaning in the picture itself, whether
illustration or mural painting; but he delighted in correlating
his meanings by means of the written story, which was always virile, significant, and charmingly antique and
idiomatic.
"His work as author and artist was, for us all, and a good
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