ELIOTH GRUNER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 18, 22 January 1931, Page 10

ELIOTH GRUNER.

NOTED AUSTRALIAN ARTIST.

TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND

SUCCESS WITH LANDSCAPES,

-- New Zealand is to learn something first-hand of the art of Elioth Gruner, one of the foremost living Australian landscape painters, who is revisiting New Zealand after many years of study and work in the Commonwealth, where his reputation as a brilliant translator of poetic impressionism has long since been established.

Mr. Gruner arrived in Auckland on Monday from Rotorua, where he and his travelling companion, Mr. Brian Cannell, an English art student, found much to interest them. What the visitors have already seen of the Dominion's landscape —they are touring the country by caravan—has impressed them tremendously, and it is Mr. Gruner's intention, as the spirit moves him, to paint some of the outstanding scenes in the country.

Born in Gisborne, Mr. Gruner responded to the urge to draw before he learnt to talk. His early life, which was spent in Australia, was remarkable for the development of his talent, hut family misfortune compelled his entry into commerce. It was not until he had turned 29 that he determined to live, or starve, for his art. The shadow of starvation did flit across his career at one stage, but when failure seemed imminent came sudden success. With his resources exhausted, he had to borrow from a friend sufficient money to buy paint and a large canvas, and with these he executed a view of Sydney Harbour, which he sent to the Australian Society of Artists. It was hung on the line.

Beginning of Success. From that day Mr. Gruner. never looked hack. The picture which placed his feet on the first rung of the ladder of success received excellent Press notices, and was purchased subsequently by the officers of the Bank of New South Wales for 100 guineas, for presentation to Sir John Russell French. A second commission from the bank gave the artist further encouragement, and thenceforth he found a ready sale for all his .pictures. To-da^hk^only.-regEet

is that he can never assemble sufficient specimens of his work to establish a collection of them. So great has been the demand for his productions that his ! own home does not contain a ■ single example of his art.. On one occasion a collection of 25 studies was exhibited, but these were disposed of within an hour of the opening of the display. Collectors purchased as many as four and five each. In cash the productions realised 2000 guineas.

On four separate occasions Mr. Gruner has been awarded tlie Wynne Art Prize by the National Art Gallery of Australia. His studies-were "Morning Light" (1916), "Spring Morning" (1919), "Valley of the Tweed" (1921), and "Mumunbidgee Landscape" (1929). The last-named picture was acquired by the National Gallery for 400 guineas/ To this record must be added the facts that Mr. Gruner has exhibited at the Royal Academy, London, and had five impressions of French landscape "on the line" at the Paris Salon. Ten of his studies are hung in the Sydney National Gallery.

Art in Australia. It is difficult to induce Mr. Gruner to speak of his work. His statement to a '"Star" interviewer was merely to the efleet that what had already been published in the Press about his career was substantially correct. Of the development of art in Australia he had a few words to say. In the early days of his struggles there were not more than two painters in the Commonwealth who were living solely on the proceeds of their work. Most of those who had taken to painting relied on sidelines for their livelihood. A contemporary, the late J. JHilder, gave up a position in a New South Wales bank for his art, and produced a panel of small water colours which received a cavmcnt hardlv worth the mention. After Hilder's death, however, many of his smaller pictures brought up to 100 guineas, and Mr. Gruner himself has repeatedly refused double that figure for one of the studies presented him by his late confrere. Another striking instance of the development of an "art consciousness" in the Commonwealth was found in the prices oflered to-day for the works of the late George Lambert, A.K..A. The growing interest in art, said Mr. Gruner, was not only live, but discretionary

Mr. Gruuer is looking; forward, like Ms companion, to seeing more of New Zealand's scenery, and that which impresses him most will be painted. The theme he develops is the principle of light, and it requires little more than a glance at his productions to realise the extent to which success in this idireetioir iias been attained.