Julian Russell Story
Date of birth: 1850.09.08
Place of birth: Walton-on-Thames
Date of death: 1919
Place of death: Philadelphia, PA
Category: painter
Identity:
Julian Russell Story was an American genre and portrait painter. He was the son of William Wetmore Story, a sculptor as well as an art critic, poet and literary editor. Julian Story's siblings also pursued artistic careers: Edith Marion (1844-1907), the Marchesa Peruzzi de' Medici, was a writer, and Thomas Waldo (1854-1915) was a sculptor.
Life:
Story was a pupil of the American painter, sculptor and etcher Frank Duveneck. He became friendly with Whistler in the 1880s. A photograph taken in Whistler's studio in Tite Street in 1881 shows Whistler with Story, his brother Waldo, the painter Frank Miles and the sculptor Frederick Lawless. Sir Rennell Rodd recalls that particularly in 1882 and 1883 Story, along with his brother Waldo, Frank Miles, Walter Sickert and Harper Pennington were constantly in Whistler's studio. In December 1882 Whistler talked of setting up a kind of artist's society, the 'Chelsea Club', in Rossetti's old home, Tudor House on Cheyne Walk. The two Story brothers were to be included in the scheme. Whistler and Story were in regular correspondence in the late 1880s.
As President of the Royal Society of British Artists, Whistler proposed Story's brother Waldo as a member in 1887. He was also responsible for Waldo joining the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers. Around 1883 Whistler painted a portrait of Story's sister-in-law Maud, Portrait of Mrs Waldo Story y251.
Bibliography:
Story, William Wetmore, Conversations in a Studio, Boston, 1890; Story, W. W., Excursions in Art and Letters, Boston, 1891; Phillips, M., Reminiscences of William Wetmore Story, the American Sculptor and Author, Chicago, 1897; James, H., William Wetmore Story and his Friends, 2 vols, London, 1903; Gerdts, W., 'William Wetmore Story', American Art Journal, vol. 4, 1972, pp. 16-33; Young, Andrew McLaren, Margaret F. MacDonald, Robin Spencer, and Hamish Miles, The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler, New Haven and London, 1980 ; MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 ; Jan Seidler Ramirez, 'William Wetmore Story', The Grove Dictionary of Art Online, ed. L. Macy, http://www.groveart.com (accessed 7 May 2002).
