AUCKLAND SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 4353, 26 April 1884, Page 5

AUCKLAND SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Thk fourth annual Exhibition of this Society was opened on April 25 by His Excelloncy tho Governor. Tho Hanging Committee woro very busy at work during April 23 in tho Choral Hall putting tho oxhibits in their places. The latter number rather more than last year, though the area covered is, perhaps, not quite so large. Thero aro 114 oil paintings hung, the averago standard of which is undoubtedly higher than that of the last Exhibition, They aro, of courso, noarly nil landscapes, and many varieties of New Zealand scenery nrc well represented. The artists seem to havo gone fuithor afield, and not to have worked so near to the city as formorly. The familiar outlines of the North Head aro happily this time conspicuous by their absence, at least omong tho oil pointings. Southern Lake Hcenery forms the subject of a considerable proportion of pictures : but

there is not a single view of the Hot Lakes of tho North Inland. It cannot bo complained that the native and peculiar characteristics nf this colony are in any way

neglected ; the present collection is positive proof to the contrary. It is true that the Maoris themselves have no place, but that in only saying ovor again that the time for original figure painting and drawing is not yet in New Zealand. Even thoso artists who might bo expected by their previous attainments to attempt tho moro difficult department of art, viz., the delineation of tho human figure, have declinod tho task and appliod themselves to landscape alono. Tho Maori has yet to be worthily pourtrayed on canvas.

Tho Loan Collection promises to bo a good one. Several of thoMacKolvie collection from tho Museum, including Armitago's "Dawn of the First Easter Sunday," liavo a place. Thoso who havo not yet seen this grand picture should mako ueo of tho present opportunity of doing so, Other striking pictures are :—" Message from the King,' by Leoconi ; " Cattle," by Chiativa ; " Sheep on tho Cotswolds," by Briton Riviere, K.A., who is among tho foremost animal painters of tho day.

The following is a list of tho special prize awards of tho Society : —

Silver Medal and Prize of £2, Mr Gilmoro, for best pupil's study from Round. Bronze Medal and Prize of £1, for best Outlino Drawing from Flat, Miss Nellie Havill.

Silver Medal for special artistic excellence to Mr Samuel R. Keesing, for original design, Decorated Door Panel (Hawk on Hybiscus).

Bronze Medal for special artistic excellence, to Miss Bleazard,f#r original design, Single Plaquet, hand painted. Silver M.«dal, tho gift of Mrs J. McCosh Clark, to Miss Kate Ridings, tho competitor receiving tho highest number of First Class Certificates.

Prize, Brooch and Ear-rings, gift of Mr I. Aloxander, Miss H. Stuart, for best work in the competition by female students in the ■Auckland Free School of Art

Prizo, £5, gift of Mrs Clayton, for the best Shaded Drawing from the Round, open to pupils in Auckland Public Schools, to Arthur Cooko, Grammar School.

Prize, £2, gift of Messrs A. B. Broomhall and Co., to Mr P. A. Weston, best set of six Landscape Photographs. Prise, Picture (No. 20 in tho Exhibition) painted and presented by Mr J. G. Trevithick, to T. Blewden, Beresford Street School, for best drawing produced in the Schools.

Prize, value £110s, to Matthew Kennedy, Wellesley-street school; prize, valuo £1, to George Whitelaw, Grafton Road school, for Outline Drawings by pupils in Auckland district schools.

Prizes and certificates of first class to— Class I.—James Hutchinson, Arthur Cooke.

Class 2.—Miss Ridings, Miss C. W, Homo, Mrs Halcombo, Miss L. White (2), Miss Eames, Mr J. O. Shorland.

Class 3.—Miss Hidings (2), Miss Bloazard (2), Mr S. R. Keesing, Mrs Calder, Miss M. H. Ansley.

The Society of Arts fourth annual exhibition was successfully inaugurated on the 25th April in the Choral Hall with a suitable address by His. Excellency the Governor. An interesting feature of the ' proceedings was the presentation of Herr Schmitt's gold medal tp Mr Thomas Wood for- the best original composition, It proved 'to be a sonata, and was played upon tho pianoforte by Mr Kalph Hood i whiloMrsJudson sang tho next best composition, a song, entitled "Sweet Evening Hour," by her brother Mr H. F. Edger, Secretary of the Orcheatral Society. According to Judge Fenton's report, tho sonata was " a long away ahead of anything else produced. It is clearly the work of some one who has not only studied music, but stndjed with r,rdpiir, ijnd as a labourotlove. itteadmimhle-jiwiUprinccps. Here is evidence of muok study, and of considerable natural gifts. If amateurs in Auckland write like this, what ought our professors to do '!" The song '.by Mr Edger was describod by the Judge as " a very excellent composition, written with great care, and containing only one error that I can discover. I speak of the tliird bar of the symphony interlude, where the first A in the pass should havo been B. ; ''•:''''.' I pannotspeak too highly of tnis Tho writer has clearly studied musip in theory, and has produced a vpry delightful Eong, which is equal in all its parts, and is so carpfully written jn all its harmonies that it might be sung as a quartette from MS. as it now is." The third best composition was a triumphal march by "Delta," whose identity has we have since ascertained to be Mr A. A. Whitohorne, C.E. It is spoken of as '-'BoW and radical," and as corresponding wftn ita riatii6, '''Whe Judge considers that'" it will be listened to with great satisfaction, for it is a' fine, manly composition. ans some of the undulations are Very' fceautifu}.'f Wp understand that Mrs J. M. Clark, Miss Bella M. Hastings, and M» A. Wiseman are ampng ttye unsuccessful competitors. Their works, and particularly those of the two ladies, were favourably noticed by Judge Fenton. Herr Schmitt intends to present a medal annually for the same class of compositions.