OTAGO FINE ARTS EXHIBITION.

Press, Volume XIV, Issue 1826, 18 February 1869, Page 3

OTAGO FINE ARTS EXHIBITION.

The Otago Fine Arta Exhibition was opened on Friday afternoon last, at half-past two o'clock, in the new Post-office building, Dunedin. Hie Honor the Superintendent performed the ceremony. Between 400 and 500 persons were present, about half of whom were ladies. The proceedings commenced by the choir singing " God Save the Queen," Madame Bishop taking the eoprano solos. The hon. secretary, Mr Hodgkina, then read the report of the committee, and the Superintendent made a suitable reply. Three cheere were given for the opening of the exhibition, and three more for hie Honor the Superintendent, and the formal proceedings terminated. We subjoin a portion of an outline summary of the exhibits, given by the " New Zealand Sun." As the description is too long for insertion in our present, the remainder of it will appear in our next, issue. As the Exhibition now stands, ifc comprises about 1400 works—Oil and Water-Color Paintings, Engravings, Etchings, Photographs, Chromo-Lithographs, Bronzes, &o. The Oil Paintings are in the Central Hall and the adjoining arcade j and five rooms are occupied by the other exhibits, all those rooms communicating directly with the Hall. Entering the Central Hall, and turning to the left, the visitor will find the central point on the westerly wall occupied by Irvine's lifesize portrait of the Rev Dr Burns, and immediately beneath it is a fine landscape by the brothers W. and C. Barraud, which has been contributed by Mr Justice Chapman. On each side of the portrait there is a view of Wakatipu Lake, by Mr J. T. Thompson ; these are flanked by two sea pieces, one of them an early work by Captain Thomas ' l Robertson, " Dutch Boats on the Dogger Bank." A portrait of the Duchess of Roxburgh, attributed to Sir Joshua Reynolds (Mr Elder, Port Chalmers, contributor), and one of Sir Anthony Harris; two other sea pieces by Captain Robertson ; a email " Lake Scene " by Dakin (Mr W. M. Hodgkine) ; an early Arm field, " Dogs and Pheasants," and a fruit piece by Poulton (Messrs Burton Brothers) will also be found on this wall. H. M'Culloch's large lands "ape, "Scene in the West Highlands" (Mr Jones, of the Southland Club, Invercargill), has the place of honor on the north wall. Thie is said to be the last work of the eminent artist, now deceased; and it is one of great power. Above it hangs a horse piece, by Harrington (Mr J. H. Harris) ; and below it is a Portrait of a Lady (contributed by Mr Justice Ward), which is very beautifully finished, and a most attractive picture. The artist is M. Bullock. A " Cupid Disarmed," hy Angelica KaufFmann, who was one of the original forty members of the Royal Academy, and its only female member, is near the portrait; and so are two cabinet pictures by Yaks, Bent by Mrs Cargill, sen. There are four portraits on this wall, which we are unable further to describe; two family portraits sent by Mr Justice Chapman ; and portraits of Mr Justice Richmond and the Rev. D. M. Stuart. Messrs Burton Brothers are the exhibitors of two works by Worsley— one, Lilies and Apple Blossoms, and the other Roses. There are on this wall two fine landscapes—one by Neimann, also contributed by Messrs Burton Brothers, an English scene; and the other by' Perigall, "On the Coast of Arran," of which Mr J. Bathgate is the contributor. Amongst the other works on this wall are — " Spaniela and Terriers," by. Earl (Mr Steel, Dunedin) j four panel copies of /paintings by Rembrandt and Terburgh ; " Hulks at Sheernese," by Gilbert (Mr Russell, Wellington) ; " Calais Old Pier," sent by Mr F. J. Wilson ; two by Sebright ; a small work, said to be by Moreland (Dγ Hocken); a lightly finished picture by Pritchett, " On the Quay, Venice," (Burton Brothers) ; "Inverary," by M'Cleay (Mr Bathgate) ; a small work, by Maaze (Mr E. Dβ Carle) ; and a Scene from the Wars of Conde, sent by, Dr Hulme, and painted by his brother. .There is a sharply, painted singular picture, of the Dutoh School, and attributed to Jan JKobell, the subject being ■? Check," and one of the chess-players being greatly Mephistophelean ; and Dr Hulme has sent one of hie own paintings—Dutch boats, on a sunset-lighted eheet of water. , . The east wall has centrally placed upon it a beautiful landscape by Gully—a view on the West Coast of the Middle Island (near Blind Bay, we believe). Above the landscape is a oharmingly-finished copy of the Portrait of Lady Hamilton, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, the, artist being Miss AineUe, of Melbourne, and a student in the Art Gal-; lery !r tliereY Miss Aihslie has also sent a Judith, copied from an original in the same gallery. Two other copies by Melbournestudents, one of them being a "Rebeccaat the Well," are contributed by Mr J.W. Burton. Captain Bobertson'e large painting, "Hobson's !Bay," is on this wall. There is a battle; piece, eaid to be by Wouvermanns, which Mr IW. J. Hehningham has sent. " Liverpool Plains, New South Wales," by C. Martens, is exhibited by Mr Laraaoh; and there is a Ferigall, which has for its subject, the Border Tower, from Sir Walter Scotia "Monastery." A copy by Cdnte,of Sir Peter Lely's Cromwell, made from the original, in the Pitta ! Palace, and a portrait of Admiral Sir E. Chet-ham-Strode, R.M., must be the last of the works on this wall to be mentioned at present. i On the southerly side of the hall are the arcade-openings. In the places of honor on the two mid-piers hang two pictures cent by ! Captain Benson—one being a eea-view, "Indiameri saluting a Man*of-war; ,, and the other, a landscape by Wildens, the figures by Rubens. On the same line, but near the end of the room, are a fine copy of a portion of Raffaelle's " Madonna and Child," contributed by Mr Branigas, and a cleverly done copy of Landseer's "JDigniCy and Impudence." Two email sea-pieces, by Knell, sent by Mrs Andrews, are on this wall; and so is a fine head of a St Bernard dog, painted by Herring, and exhibited by Mr Larnach. There is a landscape by Mr Clark, of Melbourne,," Hobaon'e Bay, from near St Kilda." Mr Irvine has.cent two works from his easel —a copy of Murillo's Flower Girl, the ori- j ginal of which is in the Dulwich Gallery ; and "The Ayah," an. original composition. Another painting by Dr Eulme, the subject of which we could sot ascertain, is hung here; and so is a small Car| dv Jardin, sent by Captain Hutchison, Mrs Cargill, sen. v is the contributor of two eea-pieces {of Yatee, the first showing the commencement of an engagement between the English and French frigates, the Pique and the Blanche, and the second showing the Frenchman striking his colors. Mr Larnach has sent still another couple of works, Horsee, by Herring, which are beautifully finished specimens. Paintings are hung on the eides of the piers; and 80 much of the arcade as could be

screened off from the refreshment room, ie completely hung with works in oil. Some cf these it must be confessed hang high ; but the committee desired not to exclude anything, especially of local productions. There are several works by Mr J. T. Thomson, Scriptural subjects principally ; and Messrs O'Brien, D. Ross, Redmayne, and others, are also represented.