AUCKLAND SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 88, 15 April 1887, Page 3

AUCKLAND SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Fourth CriticUm

As we take a final walk Tcunrl tho Exhibition, which opened with Mich •uuces? yes' teiday evening, we ncticc the fallswing principal pictures to which we have not befci-o referred .--Over ths northern doer of the hall is a large painting by Mrs Burcher of two dog*. It i 3 nClt in that lady s belt stylo. The drawing of the smaller C'°K » the best point "in tha picture. -Mr J. M. Madden, a Christchureh artist, exhibit three oil colours, all buah scenes. fhei rich junset effuct in" Evening" is good and bold; but Mr Maddens best point i, in the rich colour of his bush, whbh is true to nature. It is a pity an artist with such appreciation of colour and form should not nnish his pictures ; thi* refers especially to tho tree terns in No. I. That veteran in art, Mr Albin Martin, who we were fflad to see looking better than usual, when lie visited tho gallery yesterday afternoon, exhibits only one small work, a rapid body colour drawing, i n his usual Italian style. Mr (.!. N. Stnrtevwnt's pretty evening* snnlit breakers on a sandy beach (at Wuipn) we have spoken of before in the Exhibition of Art Student?. We hope to see liuthor work iron) his hand.

Another "JMnhlatick Club" pointing is an example of what good work the encouragement offered to honest study by that artist society has effected. Mr R. J. Debney, who has only lately blossomed into a painter of other than small works, shows a boldly and rapidly painted evening study, in which thero is much to admire.

Air A. H. CJeur, whoso " Yorick" was so justly admired 4n?t night, shows a pretty little work, rather devoid of composition bythebye, called "Multum in iParvo." Thi* i» an apparently unfinished picture, so fiat and shadowles? is it. The drawing of the calves is extremely good, and Mr Gear has just missed milking a very attractive work of it. 11 is other painting of an Isle of Wight scene is very poor, for him.

Mr R. Beetham shows two or more pictures of scenes in " Summer isles of Eden," but they are apparently studio pictures from original sketches. We mis» the fervid, burning sunshine that makes yo much of every excuse tor colour in the scenery, and the relieving purple shadows. Much is to be admired in his " L'orul Island," but where, oh where, are those delightful yellows and oranges upon the stipea and young nuts of the palms 1 The artist's " Tropical Btith " is better in pome respects, the female figure being faiily good. Mr J. G. Trevithiek shows a clover oil colour study of tea-tree .scrub, of which subject a weaker hand would have been able to mako nothing. A picture called " Maoris at Home," by Mr R. Laishley, is well worthy of notice. It is of the old school of painting, and represents an ideal Maori village in a wooded vale, in which have been planted (to judge by the foliage) a number of English forest trees. There is some very beautiful painting in this picture, but it is not New Zealand scenery. Mr M. Trenwith shows a pretty seaside picture, but has been too fond of purple in it—that fault so easily acquired. A little less stiffness would be an improvement in this work.

Mr K. A. Atkinson's beautiful sunny pictures, " Flemish Peasant's Home " and " Bathing," vie ■with this artist's works of a more solemn character for notoriety. Tho etlect of sunlight on vine leaf, on glorious red roof, and peasant faces in tiio one, and sparkling water and happy, boyish forms in the other, is perfect, and kept quite a little crowd round each work last night at the opening of the Exhibition. jMr \V. M. Watkins, whose pictures we briefly mentioned before, is best in his "Moonlight," and moonlight effect on "Moke Lake." His other works are also charmingly executed. We will describe the photographic exhibits, jdaqite paintings, and such works in our next issue.