Inaugural Conversazione.

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

Inaugural Conversazione.

The seventh annual exhibition of the Auck' land Society of Arts was opened last night, according to time-honoured usage, with a conversazione for the members and their friends. The Art Gallery of the Free Library building was crowded on the occasion, and the pictures and other artistic productions were inspected with very considerable interest. The Councillors' room had been set apart as a cloak-room for the visitors, while a dais on the western side of the Art Gallery was occupied by a band of musicians consisting of the conductor, Mr J. Impey (clarinette), and Messrs J. Hemus (violin), T. W. Killip (cornet), James Craig (double bass), and Miss Harding (piano), who played very efficiently selections of instumental music throughout the evening. About half-past 8 o'clock Mr E. A. Mackeehnie, Vice-President, mounted the musicians' dais and delivered the inaugural address. After expressing regret at the absence of His Excellency the Governor, who had hitherto presided on such occasions he said :—I would first congratulate the members and the public on finding art so well accommodated in this spacious gallery.. (Cheers.) The building itself reflects the greatest credit on the liberality of the citizens, who have shown their appreciation of art by the provision they have made for it here. The room in which we now stand was designed and built expressly for an art gallery, and it will be a matter of regret if it is devoted to any other purpose. There have been a few persons who have seemed inclined to say that it should be used as a Town Hall, but this does not appear to me to be the wish of the citizens. The City Councillors, representing them, have adopted unanimously the suggestion made through the press to apply to the trustees of the Mackelvie estate to P^° in this gallery the art collection left by Mr Mackelvie until such time as other arrangements could bo perfected. It is to be hoped that the executors will Bee their way to comply with the request; but, whether they can or not, the City Council will have done its best to clothe these bare walls with works of art, and give to the citizens the advantege of the collection left to them by their generous benefactor, Mr Maekelvie. His Worship the Mayor has moved in the same direction by suggesting that the Jubilee year ot Her Majesty should be celebrated by purchasing choice works of art to be hune upon these walls. That suggestion ha 3 been very favourably received in many quarters, and is likely, I hope, to prove successful. The Art Society itself has moved somewhat to the same purpose. It has resolved to purchase one or two pictures from its own funds every year from the works ot colonial artistß. We' hope to have these pictures hung permanently, on these walls. The first thing we have to do is to make a beginning, and to form the nucleus of a collection, however small it maybe. Judging from what has occurred in other countries, we Bhall have a large number of additions given gratuitously to that collection. There is no part of the world and no public gallery which has not been enriched in that manner. This has been particularly the case in England with regard to the National Gallery. 1 j» c list of donors to it is great, and the gifts very extensive and valuable I will mention one out of a long list of donors, the great artist Turner. He has presented to the British National Gallery no less than 282 pictures, and has given more than 19,000 water colour drawings and sketches, a collection said to bo unrivalled for beauty, wiofcy, «wd value. Jn looking wouna *w

walls of this gallery, wo must admit that cur artist* have made an advance duiing the last few yeurf. If those who were at oui'fifrt exbibiticu will compare that with the present one they will be convinced uf that fic-t, and they will acknowledge the ereat imprcvemer. t-in landscape an:! rjcrtrait painting, in Englind they have c*. tabli:l:sd : i inuirr.al pcrtrute gallery tc cb tain and preserve t.:e portraits of their great man, and I shed:! like to see something1 cl the kind here alio. We have on oyr walls portraits which -how that our artfrta are nit dsricient in that branch cl art in which Reynolds and Lawren:c excelled. If that were dene it would give employment to sur artists, and preserve for future generations the features of our oarly statesmen—men who by their action: and forced character have materially affected the history ot this colony. Much i? expected from our landscape "paintor?, both from their industry and the excellence of thoir works. l*o«ibly in time to come Home artists of more than ordinary talent will appear and represent our local scenery with a distinctive character of ite own. This originality will be admired and copied by others, and so a distinct school may arise, recognised, ami perhaps be known to'artists as the New Zealand School. Tims far tho progress of art may fairly be predicted in this colony. The rapid' improvement of our artists and our young pupils in the schools plainly shows that the art talent has not died out among us. The eye is ns true here, and the skilled hand as obedient, as in the old country. The art talent is rapidly being developed, and will, with sufficient encouragement, advance surely to perfection. Ladies and gentlemen, it would be unwive to detain you longer from the music and viewing tho pictures. I have purposely made no referenco to the pictures on the walls, for the gentlemen of the press will give fully the merits or demerits of each picture, and with a judgment more to be relied upon than my own. There ia one featuro in this exhibition which ia new. I refer to the illustrated catalogue, which will be found upon examination to oqual any similar work issued in the old country. 1 have now only to announce to the prize winnors that duo notice will be given as to when and where the prizes will bo presented. I now declare this exhibition, tho seventh annual Exhibition of tho Socioty of Arts, duly oj>ened. (Applause.)

The company present were then treated to a kind of promenade concert, being able to wander from picture to picture whilst the sweet melodies of Impey's Bund added the fresh charm of music to the scene where art and beauty had hitherto had the field to themselves. Aa the hall dedicated to the two nniiea got warm, a number of the ladies and gentlemen of the Society visited the Free Library and admired this now attraction, slightly,however, to the upsetting of the trains of thought of sundry students therein, who, "lancing from tho musty leaves of some old book nnd encountering1 the bright eyea of female beauty, forgot to return to their original employment for a while. Tho pictures did not show to advantage, as the .light watt very poor, but of course fuw persons went to see tho pictures chiefly, so they would hardly be disappointed. Amongst those present wore the Mayor (Mr A. Devoro), Sir Maurice O'Rorke, and our local artists, Messrs Steele, Atkinson, Blomiiold, Wright, Boodlo, etc.

The works of art on exhibition number '254, and are valued at £3,500, besides numerous works of art such as plaques, mirror paintings, and last but not least, a number of beautiful photographs by various artists of the silver bath. During the evening tho following pieces were ably played by Impey's Band : —Slow march, "Queen's Letter;" overture, "Le Bouffe et Le Tailleur" (Gaveuux); valse, " Le? Lys" (Tullot); overture, " Marguerite DAnjou;" raise, "Vis a Vis;"' " Corisande," and other pieces.