CALDECOTT

caldecott, randolph (1846-1886), english artist and illustrator, was born at chester on the 22nd of march 1846. from 1861 to 1872 he was a bank clerk, first at whitchurch in shropshire, afterwards at manchester; but devoted all his spare time to the cultivation of a remarkable artistic faculty. in 1872 he migrated to london, became a student at the slade school and finally adopted the artist's profession. he gained immediately a wide reputation as a prolific and original illustrator, gifted with a genial, humorous faculty, and he succeeded also, though in less degree, as a painter and sculptor. his health gave way in 1876, and after prolonged suffering he died in florida on the 12th of february 1886. his chief book illustrations are as follows:--_old christmas_ (1876) and _bracebridge hall_ (1877), both by washington irving; _north italian folk_ (1877), by mrs comyns carr; _the harz mountains_ (1883); _breton folk_ (1879), by henry blackburn; picture-books (_john gilpin, the house that jack built_, and other children's favourites) from 1878 onwards; _some aesop's fables with modern instances, &c._ (1883). he held a roving commission for the _graphic_, and was an occasional contributor to _punch_. he was a member of the royal institute of painters in water-colours. see henry blackburn, _randolph caldecott, personal memoir of his early life_ (london, 1886).