▁and ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁Best ure ▁H askell . ▁Ernest ▁spent ▁his ▁child hood ▁on ▁the ▁H askell ▁farm ▁and ▁attended ▁Wood stock ▁Academy . ▁While ▁con val es cing ▁from ▁an ▁attack ▁of ▁ty ph oid ▁fe ver , ▁he ▁passed ▁the ▁time ▁sketch ing ▁and ▁drawing . ▁Ernest ▁was ▁a ▁te en ager ▁and ▁had ▁expected ▁to ▁attend ▁Y ale ▁University ▁on ▁a ▁football ▁scholar ship ▁he ▁had ▁secured . ▁However , ▁his ▁art work ▁attract ed ▁attention ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁an ▁offer ▁of ▁employ ment ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁magazine ▁illustr ation . ▁So on ▁he ▁was ▁working ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁as ▁a ▁professional ▁artist ▁in ▁the ▁art ▁department ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁American . ▁His ▁techniques ▁were ▁mainly ▁self - t aught ▁at ▁this ▁point . ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁de cade ▁H askell ▁made ▁three ▁extended ▁tri ps ▁to ▁Paris , ▁France ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁conduct ing ▁independent ▁art ▁studies . ▁H askell ▁was ▁encourag ed ▁and ▁assist ed ▁in ▁this ▁ende avor ▁by ▁his ▁older ▁sister ▁M abel ▁Per cy ▁H askell , ▁herself ▁an ▁artist ▁and ▁writer ▁and ▁newspaper ▁correspond ent . ▁On ▁the ▁first ▁trip ▁he ▁en rolled ▁in ▁a ▁pr estig ious ▁art ▁school , ▁the ▁Academ ie ▁Julian , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁stay , ▁instead ▁de vis ing ▁his ▁own ▁system ▁of ▁studying ▁and ▁pract icing . ▁For ▁a ▁time ▁Ernest ▁was ▁a ▁prote ge ▁and ▁friend ▁of ▁James ▁Mc Ne ill ▁Wh ist ler , ▁who ▁taught ▁him ▁to ▁make ▁et