BACK IN NEW ZEALAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 246, 17 October 1910, Page 6

BACK IN NEW ZEALAND.

ARTIST'S IMPRESSIONS OF HIS OWN COUNTRY.

THE FUTURE OF PAINTING IN THE DOMINION. Mr. Herbert J. Babbage, a New Zealand artist, who has spent some' seven years in England and Europe, and has exhibited at the Koyal Academy, is at present in Auckland. During his rambles through the principal art centres of the Old World, Mr. Babbage has worked in London, Paris, Cornwall, Brittainy, Normandy, Venice, Florence. Naples, and the Italian Riviera. A large part of his working hours were spent at his studio in St. Ives, the, remote and picturesque fishing village in Southern Cornwall, famed, with Newlyn, an adjacent village, as the resort of the British School of impressionist painters like Stanhope, Forbes, Frank Bramley, and Terriek Williams.

Speaking to a "Star" representative yesterday afternoon, Mr. Babbage exr pressed surprise to find- amongst Auckland artists so few marine painters. "I consider the harbour here one of the finest sketching grounds I have seen in the Ausr tralasiim colonies. Altogether apart from its picturesque setting, Auckland possesses what so few of the New Zealand towns-have, and that is atmosphere. The early morning effects at times have quite a beauty of their own, and it is very much helped by the fact thai you have such a picturesque airay of craft like the scows and fishing boats. These fine old scows, with their broad sails half raised against a still morning tide, with mist on the hills and sunlight coming across the water, are more than picturesque. I have only been here a few days, and already have secured a couple of oil sketches and a watercolour.

"The harbour foreshore," he added, "ie very from the artist's point of view; but then, you know, we revel in untidiness!. The deserted boats lying about, the odd groups of wharf labourers, and old factories and timber mills propped up over the water are just the sort of compositions to appeal to us for the sake of a picture. Auckland has a lot of good material about its harbour that lends itself readily to the palette of the marine painter, and I should imagine that sooner or later an artist will arise to transfer it to a'glowing canvas."

"Yes, I cannot help noticing many changes," responded the artist to a question. "But they are changes for the betterment of art in New Zealand. In both Wellington and Auckland painting is coming more into line with what prevails in Europe. The art of my younger days in New Zealand makes mc smile to look back on. It was the art of our forefathers brought out to New Zealand by them when England was in the throes of mid-Victorien sentiment and artistic banality. Much of that old legacy has gone_ I have just concluded a tour through the principal towns in the North Island, and I found that in each a number of people were eager to see paintings and discuss art. The.taste, of course, is only beginning; but compared, with what it was when I left New Zealand, I think a distinct advance has been made. I was very much impressed with the development that has taken place in Wellington, —art was almost dead in the capital when T knew it.—aitd L also Auckland, where it cannot escape notice that the ranks of painters have not only largely increased, but the art represents altogether more comprehensive fields of talent. No! I am not a pessimist: I don't believe in the so-called crudeness and poverty of colonial painting. New Zealand is doing very well. Her art must take the impress of its surroundings. That is to say, it will, become national, as has been the case with other countries. The way is long, but from the examples of work I have seen, especially from the younger generation, there should be no room for pessimism in this country. You see, I am a New Zealander myself, and I positively decline to forget it." Mr. Babbage, who is staying in Aucfc land for several weeks,, opened an exhtbir tion of his paintings at the Art Society's buildings, in Cofearg-street, this afternoon.