SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 101, 30 April 1898, Page 5

SOCIETY OF ARTS.

There was another;: good attendance at. th^ Society of Arts Exhibition- yesterday. ; ... ■ . It being- market day there were several., visitors ''from the country. The -Exhibition will be open ; this afternoon .and. this evening ; SECOND NOTICE

lii/the first .article on. this subject we spoke -only-of one or two of this principal exhibits. We sliall now proceed; to notice the work of exhibitors more fully. •

*; Mr ■ Payton has been very prolific this year, sending in half a* score, of smaller-pictures, besides the large canvas which has been already described. ■.. : \ • "' - " .

; No. 4, 'St. Paul's,' is an early morning scene. The impressive headland is .shrouded in mist, aiid >.the' water has that glass like smoothness observable on calm.,and misty mornings. A pohutultawa tree in bloom makes nice contrast.. in ;. colour: 'Lingering Light depicts the -afterglow of;, a fine snnset' over a pretty, little landscape. In Np... 22,' Maoris at Hom^V, the, artist is hot, We think, quite.jso successful. ~VThe whares are gathered. on the banks of-•' a river, over, -which there is ; a plank bridge, On. the -bridge, are ./grouped some Maori youngsters, while the. elders are arranged somewhat conventionally aldiig" the bank of thci;rlver in front of.the whares. The fault of the picture is that the Maoris- do. not look at home, Tiiey look as if they were arranged to be painted." This may not have', been, the case, but that is the impression given. '~ • 'The Close of a Hot Summer Day' is an effective little picture, in the' artist's very best style. The rosy tints of evening and the impression of heat produced are admirable. '

'The Last Gleam' is another nice picture iii> much the same style, the composition it will be noticed is very good indeed.

'The Bridge' represented is a plank one, sxich as one sees up country, and runs across a stream. A Maori woman with her baby on her back is about to cross the "river. 'The Approach of Night' is another of-the artist's sunset pictures, and is painted with his customary sxiccess.

A water colour, 'Under the Pohutukawas,' is not one of Mr Pay ton's happiest efforts in that medium. Almost, any of the many. unframed he-shows please us better.

i Mr Perritt hns a great number of paintings and pastels on exhibition, mainly of very, -even merit. We should, however, have liked to see this very capable artist in something more ambitious, and-on a larger and more important scale than anything he now: shows. : ■

.'On. the Heathcote,' is a nice little bit, very: deljcately treated, and' Autumn Leaves' /is..another agreeable, trifle. 'A Breeze from the Son' West' shows a stormy sea breaking- in on a bold rocky coast.-; It ■is not quite successful, there is no very convincing- movement, in the rushing breakers, and surely- the sea was never so. green as that, under .a leaden stormy sky such as Mr Perritthas painted, and let it be said painted admirably. 'Moonlight' and "Evening' are two little pictures both nicely painted, but containing nothing that calls for special mention,., 'Ohinemutu' shows the church and thelake. The colouring is good, but the picture does not give a very flattering view of the place. ..••-, • ■ ■ .... •v-

'Early Morning on George; Sound' shows Mr Perritt 'at (his best. It is a really fine pastel, and the colouring is deliriously soft.,. The same remarks apply to the artist's picture of 'Charlotte Sound,? another charm-, iug and beautifully ■ executed pastel. Mr Drummond, whose, fine sea picture we- noticed yesterday, also sends a large picture* of the remains of an old 'Keikatea Bush.'. The subject suits the artist, and the picture is. an undeniably: fine .one, though not equal to his sea painting in any respect; The bare trunks oji the1 trees rise from a sedgry marshy ground. In the distance' one sees some ■ mist clad l\ills. The effect of forlornness and lonleliness is excellently produced, and the painting throughout is vigorous and happy. It is a picture which will find many admirers. ■

Mr Gregory has sent nothing very important this year,; but is represented by one or two small works, which are fairly successful. 'Lengthening Shadows' and 'By Still Waters' are a couple of trifles on opal, concerning which there is not much to be said either in blame or praise. 'A Misty Morning' is a really nice little* sylvan scene, painted with.very considerable ability. The atmospheric effects are. very good, and the foliage and grass are very, well done.

.The ■work of Maud de Montalk seemed .very familiar to the writer, though he: failed to remember-, the name as an old exhibitor. He forgot that ladies change their names sometimes, The : important fact is, however, that-the change has in.no way injuriously, affected the lady's brush. On the contrary there is another marked advance in the work of thisyoung artist; who steadily improves every year. .

'Evening on Lake Kaneiri' is quite admirable from every point of view, and 'By, the Light of 'the Moon' is one of the,- prettiest pictures in. the exhibition. The true effect of moonlight is very well caught, and .the composition of the little' •picture '. is distinctly good.

■ Mr Pheney sends several pictures which show, an advance, qn previous .work. He is, still, however, prone to ■hardness in painting. This fault in■terferes with the • success of jn.any v qi" his ■.pictures.; 'On the. West Coast';is a .plucky and 'ambitious efEort'i and far from unsuccessful. ■:The.rocks.- are well, done, but the: .water lacks fluiaity-. ~'The Roadto the •Sandhills' is a nice little study, but perhaps tW»j best of this artist's pictures is 'A Quiet ■ Pool.' . . ,It is... as its name indicates, a quiet pool in some country river. Some cows wander across, and . the general effect ,is good. The ■ f oliag-e and the cabbage trees are nicely painted, and the composition shows a great improvement; on Mr Pheney's previous work. 'West Coast Beach,' 'Mount Eden, and the 'Cascade Near Waiwera,' are other works by this artist, all of considerable, merit. '

Mr "F. Wright's large water colour 'Softly the Evening Comes' is perhaps the most beautiful picture In the exhibition. The colouring1 is masterly.* It is a ■'■picture, which one can study :. for a quarter of an hoiyr at a time, and then find; some new beauty. The lake, the surrounding hills, the purple mountains in the distance, are all painted with consummate ait, and the picture is one which might well, find its way to -the permanent collection at the Art Gallery. • It■;• is a worthy, representative of New Zealand- art. > .•: . ~.-;

'All is Airiness' is another admirable water colour, ; with, fine mist effects, which are particularly clever-: ly done, ■"'■'■' ■■ _ ",.,>-.