ART DISPLAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 37, 13 February 1934, Page 8

ART DISPLAY.

FOR NEW ZEALAND. I LOANED FROM ENGLAND. A VALUABLE COLLECTION. Details of the art exhibition which is beiri o, sent from England to New Zealand and Australia were given this afternoon by Mr. John Barr, city librarian. Mr. Barr said that the sending of such a collection overseas was the result of individual efforts made by Mr. P.-R. Sar"ood, of Dunedin. In 19:29, while in Eli "land, he negotiated with the art authorities and art lovers in England, and as a result there was formed the Empire Art Loan Collection Society. The committee of the organisation was a strong one. including many figures well known in art circles. Mr. C. I\. Chismcn and ilr. Ernest Marsh were the organising directors. Pictures and Artists. The main objcct of the society, s ,v id Mr. Barr, was to organise art eyhibitiuns from collections, both public and private, in Great Britain for ftispatch to different parte of the Empire, _nd also to attempt to make available t.ia many surplus pictures in various national collections in Great Britain. The committee had been successful in bringing together a collection of pictures comprising oil and water paintings, drawings and prints, which, depicted the development of British art from 1802 to the present time. Tlia collection' to be isent comprised SO oil paintings and water painting's, 79 original drawings and 90 prints, comprising etchings, engravings and the lilce. Artists represented included D. Y. Cameron, Roger Fry, Duncan Grant, Charles Holmes, Augustus John, Ambrose McEvoy, Sir William Orpen, Lucien Pissarro, Sargent,' W. R. Sioksrt, J. 31. Whistler and many otliers. Among the more famous individual paintings were "The Blue Pool" (Cameron), "La Duchesse de Grammont'' (John), "Haymaking by Moonlight" (Lawson), "The Green Hat" (McEvoy), "Marionettes" (Sargent), "The Muslin Dress" (Wilson Steer), "Valparaiso," "Lily," and "Silver and Grey" (Whistler). The collection from a monetary point of view is of considerable value, a large number of pictures being insured for a sum in excess of £1000. The drawings and paintings, Mr. Barr said, appeared to be a very representative collection, and should be of particular value to students and lovers of art alike. Mr. Barr said he had no information of the actual rota of the exhibits. If the collection went first to Dunedin, as he expected it would on account of the spade work done by Mr. Sargood, it should be on view in Auckland about June. The library committee, Mr. Rarr added, hoped to have the assistance of representatives of the Maekelvie Trust and the Society of Arts. It was eoasidering the housing of the exhibition somewhere apart from the Art Gallery, which was at present taxed to utn.ost capacity. If the exhibit were held outside the Art Gallery there would be a nominal charge to help defray expenses, which the city, witli . the Mae<ce!vie Trust and the Society of Arts, was bearing. .