SOCIETY OF ARTS EXHIBITION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 4353, 26 April 1884, Page 2

SOCIETY OF ARTS EXHIBITION.

» _ Socond Notice. Watkk-coj.ouk drawings are not so attrac- S tivc to the .eye of the general public as oil- M paintings, and, for this rea*on, as well as ~$ owing to the fact that they are not hung bo advantageously as could be wished a the water-colours in the present collection will not secure that attention which the merit of many of them deserves. On account of the exigencies of space, the water 'i colours are arranged around a table in thl centre of the hall. They are not very :> numerous, a circumstance which is doubt leas owing to the technical difficulties which i; beset the water-colourist. ." -; Mr John Gully has contributed three I and it goes without saving uTi they are all worthy of careful « M animation. They are first of all pictures • and then the handling and treatment * generally evinco great skill. No 146 " West Coast Road," is a grandly executed drawing of mountain, valley, cloud rocks M and foliage. " Golden Bay," No. 127 anrl " Lake Wanaka," No. 131, are in a quiZr ' ■ manner, but exhibit the same characteris' tics of skill and finish. ' .; Two at least of Mr J. C. Richmond's three drawings will arrest attention by, their cor '' geous colouring. They are both sunset '-■ scenes, and sunset in tropicai latitud P « 3 The first is entitled. "Twilight at Re™ ' :- River, Fiji" (No. 123); the second, "Port t of Oran," No. 151. It must however be ■:': conceded that the brilliance of the colours is justified by some of the recent remark- - able sunsets. Mr Richmond's third picture is a study of foliage at Takaka, Golden Bay.

Mr T. Ryan furnisheß seven drawings all of them executed with care and thoroughness. "The Porthills after a snowstorm Lyttelton " (No. 125) reproduces a strikine' scene with necessary boldness. The tops of the hills are covered with a garment of snow, and the storm appears passing off to the right. Another snowy scone is that represented in No. 143, "Calm day off the Sugar Loaves, Taranaki," where the giant Fgmont lifts his splendid form to heaven " Hole in the Wall, Mercury Bay," No. 142* is another study of rock and coaat scenery • as is also "View in Blind Bay, Great Barrier Island " (No. 126). Mr Ryan hag got inspiration in several instances, we notice, from tho last named locality, which would appear to be a sketching ground worth visiting. Each of Mr B. A. Chapman's four water colours exhibita careful work. They are all of lake scenery, and represent respectively Lakes Wanaka (121). Wakatipu (189)' Hawea (145), and Waihora (149). Itiadiffi'cult to choose between them j but perhaps No. 145 deserves to carry off the palm. We should have liked to have seen more of Mr B. VV. Gilford's work, for he is represented by only a single drawing, No. 147 " Fiord on the West Coast of New Zealand.1' The effect of the sun behind the clouds, tha light on the rippling waters, and on the hills by the shore, is managed with moderate success.

His Excellency tho Governor has contributed to the collection, "Sketch in Dnsky Sound," No. 137, in which may be seen the Hinemoa lying at anchor on a calm fine day the enclosing conical hills being reflected in the placid waters of the Sound. The technical handling, we may be allowed to say, shows long practice ; though tha tints and colours are perhaps hardly those of New Zealand.

Mrs George Parsons is represented amoog the water-colours by two very creditable drawings, No. 122, "Mountain Stream near Bright, Victoria," and " View from the hillside at Bright, Victoria," No. 135. We prefer the former, which is a pleasani bit of Australian b usn ; the latter is somewhat flat.

From Mr Alfred Sharpe's easel there is but one product, viz., No. 138, " Grey, day off Tiritiri," wherein one recognises the Triumph en the rocks under the lighthouse The tone and general effect of the whole is full of truth, the approaching rain-cloud, the dark sea, and the gloom in under the cliffs being realistically depicted. It i» needless to describe with what painstaking Mr Sharpe has worked. '

Mr George Gregory, in " Early Morning,' New-street, Ponsonby" (No. 141), has made an effective picture out of a veiy simple subject. The foliage has had much careful work bestowed on it.

The sketches in oil by Mies Home have considerable merit. This lady is making great progress, as her industry and application certainly deserve. But we may be pardoned for suggesting that some of the sketches have a set, Christmas card look about them; and throughout the whole there \b a striking sameness both in the colouring and the arrangement. "Point Chevalier," No. 129, by Mr.G. N. Sturtevant, is not a-great success. The contrast between the gloom on the left and the brilliant colouring on the right might be admissibleif the drawing of the objects enshrouded in the. gloom were sharply enough defined. As it is this, portion of the picture is simply a haze or mist. The figures in the boat are poorly drawn. We cannot consider this drawing equal to. the study of ferns which Mr Sturtevaut exhibited two years ago. The work of Miss E. M. Cheeseman in her drawings Noa. 153 and 155 is painfully minute and conscientious. They require'n far broader treatment and freer handling to make pictures of them. In No. 158, "View in Lower Remuera," there is no sense of distance; the background is just as exact, and in precisely the same colours as the immediate foreground The cabbage-treo has had much pains bestowed on it, and must be regarded as a successful piece of work. Other exhibitors of water-colouri are— Messrs E. W. Payton, 6. T. Bowrins J McPherson, Thos. Ball, E.HeYcerCox I) Martin, Mrs F. Brodie, Mis* Wvkw,'and Rev. J. Palmer, * .■; <

w » °"f. uf the smaller rooms of the Choral Hall will be found a collection of drawings and colour studies from the Canterbury College School of Art. They arrived unfortunately too late for competition. Had they oame in time, there is no doubt that several would hare carried off prisses. They aro evidence of what good work U being ao- ; comphshed in Christchurch under the direction of Mr David Blair, Head-master and his assistant, Mr Elliott. There is here exhibited a specimen of what the latter gentleman can do. It is a study of stilMife in water colours, and to it was awarded in 1880 the National ;Qold Medal at South Kensington. The subject is simple enough, a thickly-bound tattered old tome, an empty jar or small bowl resting on the former, with a tall stoppered bottlo behind; part of the furniture, in fact, of an alchemist's laboratory Tha execution is well-nigh perfect. The ragged edges of old book, the hollow bowl, and the light on the bottle, are done to the life. Canterbury College has attained to the dignity of a " life " school of sketching. There are several very creditable sketches, rapidly excecuted, sent up. Those by Miss ! Louise Bradbury (of man and boy) and Miss Rosa Budden (of man) deserve special, mention. Some of the drawings from the round m pencil, stump, and oils, are excellent. It is really difficult to choose between the performances of the following, W. G. Hamilton, J. B. Spensley. W. Knott-Hill, Stanley Roscoe, and Mies Louise Bradbury. In water-colour sketches - there is work equally successful. A drawing oi a parti-coloured glazed jar by Miss Margaret Stoddart cannot fail to attract notice. The play of the light upon it, tho shadows reflected on its surface, its rotundity, are all brought out very cleverly, in flower studies the same lady seems to carry off the palm. A group contaming roses, lilies of two kinds, fuchsias, dahlias, and other blossoms, is a charming piece oi work. Miss M. Stoddart, if we remember rightly, is the.artist whose study of hlies attracted so much attention last year. Not far behind in point of merit come, Miss Frances Stoddart, Miss Kosa Budden, and Miss Matilda Gee. It is tobe hoped that tho Christchuroh exhibits on the noxt ocoasion will arrive in time to take part in tho competition. If they maintain their present high standard, there cannot be much doubt as to the result