SOCIETY of ARTS Ex- HIBITION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 84, 17 April 1885, Page 2

SOCIETY of ARTS ExHIBITION.

First Notice. AVk will place at the beginning of our j notice tho exhibits of those artists who rcsido at a distance. It is noticeable that tho Exhibitions of tho Society attract ox- I hibits from tho Sontli more and more each i yoar—a fact which proves its moro thanlocal popularity and importance, Mr J. D. Moultray sends a number of very fine pictures, which, being tho work of an irtist with thorough training received in JnglanJ, should bo carolully studied by our Auckland workers. To No. 05 Mr Moultray would seem to attach most value. It isa largo canvas,showing a cloudcapped mountain in the background, with spreading treeß, and a swampy stream in which cactlo are standing, in front. While exception may bo taken to the sky, tho rest of tho work is admirable evincing a raro combination of skill and painstaking. "Sunset on tho Cairngorm Mountains" (No. 08) is a characteristic Scotch scone. JSaro peaks lightod up by tho declining sun stand out rugged in tho distanco ; a barren hillsido slopos up from a pool of slill water, by which graceful deer are loitering. No. G'2, "Gathering Blackens in Strath>ne, Perthshire," possesses tho same characteristics as the last-named, but is moro lightly painted. A striking picture is "In liothicmurchus l>eor Forest," No. 07, whore trees and rocks and deor aro outlined against a particularly heavy mist which ia rising from a lower levol behind. Mr Moultray has doubtless seen what ho hero pourtrays, but to tho ordinary obsorver the mist in the picturo before us seoms far too solid and opaque. Nos. S-t and 80 aro two other canvases by the samo artist, painted in the samo stylo. In tho latter, " Sky lifting after rain on the moor, Lochcrnshoad," it is difficult to sco how the light in tho water is rellocted from the sky as painted ; sky and water do not hero resemblo each other in colour, though the latter is supposed to borrow its hue from tho former. Mr iT. Gibb again contributes several pleasing pictures. Ho has hardly been seen to greater advantage than in "The Wool Season," No. 101. No one would guess from tho titlo that the scone is a marinoono, but such it ia, with a calm sea, graduating from tiny translucent ripples to a glassy smoothness, summer clouds, steamer and othor vessels at anchor. The steamer is apparently taking in wool, out in somo open roadstead, practicable in such bright clioerful weather as is hero depicted. No, 52, " Tho Cavo Rock, Sumnor," is in Mr (iibb's characteristic stylo, and it is noticeable ho will have his rocks his own particular huo. If the rock at Sumi'cr is basaltic, Mr Gibb must surely bo at fault. A rather commonplaco canvas is No. 5, "Thompson's Sound, West Coast," smooth and protty, but below and not above, this artist's average. No. S7, " '^ako Coleridge, Winter," is something better. It presents great contrasts—snowy heights on tho further shore of tho mere, a green peninsula in tho middlo distance. Such scenes seem to be favourites with New Zealand artists, and our exhibitions have displayed a goodly number of them, i In fact, ono is inclined to fear that thoro is a fatal facility in painting thorn. Mr Powor, of Dunodin, fitrnislios sovoral picturos of hill sconory, ono of which is certainly a success, viz.. No. 00, " Valley of tho Loith, Duncdin." Tho foreground is capitally put in, but tho blucness of the half distanco seems scarcely natural. Another defect is that tho picturo ia not characteristically Now Zealand. Labelled with another namo, a Scotch ono or a Welch, none would suspect tho alteration. This is a criticism which applies to n great many of tho works in ovcry Auckland Exhibition. Tho artiste paint conventionally ; they have notyot neon Now Zealand objects, troos, plants, colour, gonoral aspect of hind, Boa, anil sky as thoy roallyaro.* "Tho Water of Loith is tho subject of another of Mr I'owcr'" pictures, No. •!!), whore a vory rocky stream is ovorliung with heavy foliage Tho Uml rnscmllc of this would »o all tho moro attractive wore a Hfcllo light thrown into tho foreground to rcliovo the, gombro hues at prosont found thero. No. 1!), "Tho Jloadnf tho Waifati River," is a carefullyprinted bush scone. "A Bend of tho Wanganui" (No. S) is ono of several pictures by Mr 10. \V. Payton. Moro pains and attontion to detail would have improved it; as it now hangs, it ifl impossible to state what kind of verduro covers tho hill on tho left. A Hpecimon of what is known as tho painters' troo occupies a prominont place against tho sky in tho middlo distnnco. Gum trees do occasionally aspumo this appoarnnco, but not often. " Doop in the Greonwood " (No. 71!) and " Treo Forn, Watwora Bush " (No. 77) aro too sombre in thoiv tints, and would bo all tho hotter for lighting up. Tho formor would thon bo a pleasant picturo, and its detail would bo easier scon.

Coming now to'Auekland artists, wo givo lio first place to Mr. Drummond, on account of tho pront improvement ho gives evidence of. That ho has not got nHogothor out of his old mannerism, Nos. 10 nnd 102 bear witness. Thn azure tendency if, also seen in No. 32, "Tho Manukau, nbovo Onehungn," which \f, howovor, n Mir.rfissful pciv picco. Tho hills far awny behind nro well drown ; tho glint on tho surface of tho water, tho reflection fromtli" bright sky, is very natural; whilo tho rock* in tho foroground comploto a capital effect. In "Scoria Land" (No. 38) Mr Drummond picked out a difficult 'subject, for at first eight thoro does not appear anything vory inviting in shapoloas masses of woathorworn basalt, interspersed with scant, hungry vorduro. He has, however, mado tho most of it. and in a bright picture lias mado scoria look its vory bo.=t. Mr Drumniond's magnum opus is No. 22, "Evening," which is the bost picture he has yot exhibited. A clump of trees to tho right stand out sharply agaiust a woatorn sky, and throw dark shadows. A man is keeping up several tires in the middle distanco, and tho lazy smoke croops slowly up into tho ovening air. Tho same caution must bo civen to Mr Drummond as to others. Get froo from conventionality ; paint New Zealand. Neither of Mr K. 'Watkins's pictures engages our fancy. The smaller, No. 75, is a study of Whnngaroa Harbour, with a sotting sun, which is throwing a fiery glaro on the water. Tho foliage in the forefront vory closely resembles, both in colour and trentmont/that in No. 03, " Mount Egmont at Sunrise, from tho bush track," As vory few persons get up early enough to witness the sun rise, cither at Tarannki or olsewhere, there will not bo many, wo fear, who enn testify to tho correctness or otherwise of the hues here employed It was not such pictures ns thesewhich gave Mr Watkins the first placo among our local artists. But perhaps he is reserving his best work for tho exhibition of the Art Students' Association, a body which has producod a tonic and stimulating effect on the Society of Arts, to judge by tho collection now open for the inspection of visitors. There seems to bo plenty of room for both Societies : and if tho newer one will only go on inciting tho members of the older to paint more naturally, to put moro New Zealand into their pictures, thero will bo abundance of scope for their ofTorts.

We aro sorry to find that Mr S. Stuart, who certainly is a painstaking nrliet, has gone back rather than progressed. In No. 7 he has attempted to reproduce tho scene from tho Cemetery gully seawards. Tho colouring is very hush and crudo ; and with no resemblance to thotruohuos of the gully in question, which anyone any day can observo for him?elf. Tho patchincss which is everywhere noticcablo offends tho eye in this as in No. S3, about which it is as well to bo silent.

Mr Ball is another of our careful local artists who does a groat deal of moritorious work. Of his canvases it must be said generally that tho colouring is hard, lacking brightness and Hfo. Nos. 21 tind 24, " Preservation Inlet, Morning," and "Caswoll Sound, Sunset," aro tho froost from this dofect, while it is most plainly evident in Nop. 14 and 39, "Fall in George Sound," and " On the Littlo Huia." The fonnor (No. 14) is a somowhatconvcntionalfall, though thecolour of the wator (thatof a glaeior stream) is right, and the fleecy mist rolls naturally off the highlands beyond. Patchinees marks all Mr Ball's pictures, and it in especially noticeable in No. 39. Mr Ball deserves success, and we hope to see him attain a greater chare of it than has hitherto fallen to his lot. '

Mr E. A, Gifford is now to be reckoned among our local artiste. His is the solitary specimen of animal paining in the Exhibition, No. 37, a horse "At the Forge." The drawing is good, with tho exception of a stiffnes in theiiind legs. There is also a woolline;s of treatment litre and there which is rot pleasing. No. 01, "Coai'fc Scone near Moeraki" (dated 1870) would be all the better if more evenly painted. Tho sandstone cliffs with the tree:t above, are put in with care, but the rocks to left arid right have been left to cave lor theaiselvea. Tho total effect is good, but a greater expenditure of pains would make it much hotter. Me Gilford is also the contributor of a number of lino wator colours.

Wo come now to Mr Blomfiokl, who is, as usual, well represented. Ho sends more

than a dozen canvases, which prove him to bo, wcro further proof required, a diligent worker with the brush. The Rotomahana studios demand tho first notice. Soven of them will be found hung side by side in tho room with tho loan collection, numbered 170 to 176. Theso were nil painted en tho spot, with the object of getting the tints as true to nature as paint could make them. Thoy aro mostly rough, and would require to bo worked up witn caro. One of tho most striking is No. 174, "Boiling Cauldron of White Terrace," which is seldom seen empty usin tlio picture. ' The huge basin, of the purest and most delicate Vhitc,looUs as if it bciouj.l,.- to fairyland, and not to this terrestrial sphere. The largest liotoinahanu picture (No. Ill) ia also tho most interesting. "The Hot Baths, Pink Terrace," aro given from a new standpoint, not bolovv or above, but on a level, :md the elfect as shown by Mv Blomlield Ls certainly pleasing Tho fiky i.i overcast and dull, but theio is no corresponding lack of brightness on tho Terrace : is this right ? "Ferns, Whnngaroa" (No. 23) is a characteristic New Holland pceno, where tho ferns form the best part of tho foliage. In sovoral parts negligence is apparent. "Te Aroha and thoUpper Thames" (No. 15) is a view from a greo.t height over a Hat plain, through which the river winds. The middle distance is altogether too thinly painted ; though tho foreground _is meritorious. Wo may remark in passing that it is singular that To Aroha and Waiorongomai aro not more cultivated as sketching grounds by our local artists. There is there an untried country, with an immense variety of beautiful scones, mountain ani dalo, swamp and rivor, trees and rocks. In "Auckland from Waitakeroi Ranges" (No. 20) tho North Shore and Rangitoto seem to bo just at one's feot, instead of twenty odd miles away. Nos. 10 and 63 arc dainty little sketches taken in Tauranga Harbour. Nos. 27 to 20 are pretty, but scarcely up to the average Mr Albin Martin, Auckland's veteran artist, contributes several pictures, all of them in his characteristic stylo—Nos. 30, 9, 48, 59, and !)!). Mr Griffin deserves a word of encouragement. Tho idea of No. 3(5, " Gamp Scone in Kauri Bush," is good, and tho details correct, but its fault is an unrelieved flatness. No 17, "Study of a Girl's Head," shows considerable talent in the direction of portrait-painting. Mr Ryan (who exhibits several watercolours) has essayed oils in No. 40, which is fairly successful, though tha subject is too ambitious. An ambiguous sky is the principal defect. "Sunsot at Coupland's Creak. Coromandel" (No 71), by Mr VV, ,1, Wild, has eotno good points, though the foreground Beerns to us too dark and gloomy. Exigencies of space prevent our noticing today the oil paintings by ladies, and the water-colour collection, both of which will be described in our next notice, Tho exhibition was open from mid-day till five o'clock this afternoon, and will be open this ovening from 7.30 to 10. An instrumental concert will bo an additional attraction.