SONNTAO, William Lonis, painter, born near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 2 March, 1822. His youth was passed in Cincinnati, and there he began to practise art as a profession in 1848. Six years later he settled permanently in New York. During 1853-'4, 1855-'7, and 1861 he was abroad, spending most of the time in Italy. He has devoted himself to the delineation of American landscape, strongly idealized His principal works are "View on Licking River, Kentucky" (1846); four pictures on the "Progress of Civilization," illustrating William Cullen Bryant's poem (1848); "Spirit of Solitude" (1851); " Evangeline " (1852); " A Dream of Italy" (1860); "A Morning in the Alleghanies" (1865); "Sunset in the Wilderness" ; "Spirit of the Alleghanies" ; and "Fog rising off Mount Adams" (about 1885) He was elected an associate of the National academy in 1860, and an academician the following year, and is also a member of the Water-color society and the Artists' fund society.