Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Wednesday 8 December 1915, page 9


MR. ALF. VINCENT.

SUICIDE IN SYDNEY.

SYDNEY Tuesday.—Mr. Alfred James Vincent, the well known black and white artist, died at his home at Manly last even-ing. Mr. Vincent who had been in ill health for some time, retired to his room about half past 10 o'clock. Shortly after-wards, his wife found him with his throat cut apparently by a razor. A doctor was summoned, but Mr. Vincent died before he arrived.

Mr. Vincent, who was born in 1874, was a native of Launceston, Tasmania. Most of his best work was done for the Sydney "Bulletin" and the Melbourne "Punch," his association with the former journal commencing about 1894, when he left Mel-

bourne for Sydney. Several years later, consequent on the death of Mr. Tom Durkin, he came to Melbourne, to draw the Melbourne page for the "Bulletin,"

which work he carried out, except for brief periods, until his death. Many fine examples of his work are to be found on the walls of the Savage Club, Melbourne, with which he had been associated for a long period. About ten years ago Mr. Vincent visited the East,

and after his return executed many in-teresting pictures in pastel, his subjects being either Japanese or Chinese in charac-ter. Some three years ago he visited Eng-land.

Mr. Vincent, who was married a few years ago, leaves a widow and one daughter. Prior to his marriage Mrs. Vincent was Miss Phyllis Potter, of Melbourne.

Mr. Vincent's work was practically all in pure outline. He began very much under the influence of Phil May, who, at the time was beginning to influence draughtsmen all over the world. Economy of line and a sharp sense of caricature were the attractive features in this new art, and Mr. Vincent became an enthusiastic dis-ciple. His art was thus not original but for a long time until he began to fail in health there was a good deal of snap and journalistic value in it. If one is ever tempted to look lightly on his work —the weekly turning out of topi-

cal sketches—one must remember that the

work of Michael Angelo would not be ap-plicable to weekly journalism and that Mr Vincent's drawing, slight as it was, was always eminently suitable for the pur-pose of quick reproduction by the very in-different modern processes now in vogue.