THE LATE JOHN GERHARD KEULEMANS. 



One of the most interesting personages connected with the 

 ornithological world of the latter part of the nineteenth 

 century, has passed away. To most of the younger school 

 Keulemans, who died on March 29th 1912, at the age of sixty- 

 nine years, was known only by name, and few realized the 

 individuality of the unassuming artist, or recognised that 

 for thirty years he Avas the unrivalled and unequalled draughts- 

 man of ornithological subjects. From 1870 to 1900 scarcely 

 any ornithological work of importance was complete without 

 "illustrations by Keulemans," and his sureness of design, 

 combined with his facility of expression, made his beautiful 

 figures always a delight to refer to. 



Keulemans was a man of few words, and the following 

 brief details of his life will probably be as novel to most as 

 they were to the present writer. 



Born on June the 8th, 1842, at Rotterdam, of Dutch parents, 

 he was early imbued with the love of natural history, and 

 gifted with Art he entered Leiden Museum at the age of 

 eighteen, and worked there for two years. The love of travel, 

 Avhich characterized his whole life, then led him to Africa on 

 a collecting trip, and at one time he had a coffee plantation 

 on the w^est coast, but fever forced him to return to Europe, 

 where he again took up a position in the Leiden Museum. 



The work which made him world-famous, however, com- 

 menced in 1869, when he came to England to illustrate books 

 for Bowdler Sharpe, and from that time onAvards the drawing 

 and painting of bird-subjects was his sole pursuit. 



But his love of travel still continued, and in these years he 

 journeyed over almost the whole of Europe. He was an 

 exceptionally good linguist, speaking five languages fluently. 

 His chief hobby was music, the 'cello being his favourite 

 instrument, and on this he was an accomplished performer. 

 That he w^as an ardent Spiritualist, having contributed much 

 to the literature of the subject, will seem strange to those 

 who knew him only as the artist. 



He was twice married and leaves nine children. 



Of Keulemans it can be truly written "Er liebt in seiner 

 Werken," as a reference to his beautiful figures must ahvays 

 induce thoughts of the artist. Gregory M. ]\Iathews. 



