MRS BURCHER'S ART EXHIBITION.

Auckland Star, Volume XVI, Issue 3851, 19 December 1882, Page 2

MRS BURCHER'S ART EXHIBITION.

AT the spcc'al iovila'.ion of Mrs Albeit Burcher, artist, and teacher of painting* at the Girls' Hi»h School, a reporter from this ollice visited her residence ia St. George's Bay iioad yesterday afternoon, in order to inspect an exhibition of works by ber pupiU that commences there to-day. He expected to find a dozen or so pencil sketches, and poilups a few essijs in water colour*, which ia tho lenient judgmeilt of an indulgent; critic, who is di«poted to mako all a«.rts of allowances for ynu'.h, inexperience, aud divcLd altentiou,migbc bo pronounced fjjir or pi^tsable; hut he was agreaably surpiised to perceive within the compa-s of a single room, a large asso<tment of oils, waier-colours, crayons, ttudics iv sepia, pencil drawings, and pjintings on terra cotta, china, sLells, and natin, some evidencing considerable taste and talent, and all handsomely mounted aud marked by caro and ariisiic skilJ. They wee not by any means seen at their best, for they ore only being hung today, but the display wa« sullicisntly good to aita»t the teacher's ability aud her pupils' aptitude. Amongst tho oiie, two companion pictures by Mrs F. Ircl*nd, entitled itspcoivcly, "Moonlight" and "Sunset," cannot fail to command favourable notice. In both, the atmospheric and cloud effects are f>eod, while in the former tho gleam of distant rooo>.ba*ms is happily tioitcd. Mi»s E. Walker contributes a tiger's head, realistically pomtraAcd, aud Miss Carry Walker a dog's hrad, meritoiiously executed. Misi Chambors's winter fcenos are quiet and natural, and Misses Baker and Wright for a river 'sctne and a fruit piece respectively deserve honourable mention. Mißj Kcuderdii'C shews capital work for a beginner, Mias Beatrice Baker's' •'Horse's head" is very g"od, and Mils Hamlin's view of " Wnitemuta Harbour by Moonlight" ia nice y done. Miss Barker, another promising pupil, exhibits a winter seine. Some pretty specimens of flowerpainting on siitia by Misses ti. Baker, Ua'ley, and f- orrio form a vtry attractive ,fc«turo of tho exhibition, as do also the terra cott* and china pointings, of which Mrs F. Ireland furuii-hes fully threefourths, Miss Kendcrdine and the Misses VVaUer (2) btiiig the other ftudents Iv this department of ait. Miss Chambers adds to itacreditabiocxumpleofkhell-pjinliris. 'Jhc water-colours are vine in number, and are allmcritoiiou?. Mias Carry W»lkerhasa clever fruit piece, and Miss Katie Keyisolds some nice studies in iloners, while the fotmer young lidy's sepia drawings manifest the exercise of great cara. Miss * bbott und her sister, Miss Edith Abbott, although they have only boon learniDg a tliott time, exhibit woiks of undoubted merit, thua showing tho possession of a decided artistic ta»tc. Tho cruyoDS arc nunu-r----ous and iutcrc-ting. £ome exce'lent Work is shewn by the Mhses Abbott, Miss Ethtl Keyno'ds, and Miss O'Brien, Miss_ Reyiudds's Mudonua anu child being admirnbly finished, Mrs Burcher has, amongst othcis, a class of boys from the rev. Mr Bispham'a sebool, and a few of thesn have made remarkable progress Harold tvooke3, for instance, who began . with strokes twelve months ago, exhibits a r. eatsketch of afamiliiir painting, "'I ho Shocingoftheßorse,"aud.Hugh Wright, wbohas macto a fimilarly rapid advance from the fir.«t rudiments of the art, is represented by a very fair study ot a dog's head, while \V. E. Thomas snpplies a creditable sketch of a ship as! ore. A personal inspection, how-cv.-r,will be't-r inform the lover of art as to the high average merit of these productions than any published remarks. They will be on \iew from to-eU>y till Thursday (inclusive) at Mrs Bnrchfi's rcs'drnco, wlrcb adjoins Mr Jne, Abbot's, in St. George's Bay Road. 'Iho cxh'bition will rep^y tho trouble of n walk thither. Mrs liurcher is undoubtedly the possessor of nrtisic itilont ot do mean order, aid »he ha?, too, tho happy kmck of deviloping it rapidly in her pupils. That is exotnplified by Ih- prngrcjs they b'avo made, for her residence here only extends over two and a half years. Her father was sn a'tist, to<>, aud sho herself has studied under sueheminent masters os Mr David Kober!?, 8.A., and Mr Pinnie, P.iucipal of ihs 1 iveipool Scbc. 1 of Art. Her.abilities deserve to be more widely known,