PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13596, 3 December 1909, Page 8

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS.

The President said it was his pleasant duty that evening to welcome those present to the exhibition of loan pictures, which this year took the place of the usual Sketch Exhibition. He thought they would agree with him that the Council of the Art Society in getting together that very fine collection of British and Continental pictures, had taken a step in the right direction. It would enable many Christchurch people who had had no opportunity of seeing the picture galleries of the Old World, to form some idea of the work of artists of other lands and other times. Regarded purely as a picture show, the Exhibition was most attractive; but it had also a very great educational value, and the Council of the Art Society trusted that it would be an object lesson to New Zealand artists and to the artloving section of the community. Every picture on the walls was notable for its artistic value, but in- addition to that quality some of the works had the added interest of great age. They had all heard of the Old Masters; that "evening they could look at pictures painted three or four centuries ago by men whose names were held in reverence by all artists. The oldest examples were the works by Correggio and" by Carracchi, representing the Early Italian School, and painted about the year 1550. Flemish art was represented by Vandyk (1650), who first introduced art of a high order into Britain; tho Spanish School by Murillo (1660), and the Dutch School by Barnard Gall (1665). There were also works by some of the most Tenowned British artists, such as Sir Joshua Reynolds (1760), the Father of British Art; Sir Thomas Lawrence 0800), and J. M. W. Turner (1825). Then later in the last century there were works representative of Sydney Cooper, Landseer, Etty, G. F. Watts, Raeburn, Oaleott, and a number of more modern painters with whose work they were all more or less acquainted. There were also some admirable examples of work by deceased New Zealand artists, such as Gully, Hodgkins, Cousins, Sorott, Cane, Nairn, and last, but not least, John Gibb. A young country like New Zealand was sometimes said by contemptuous critics to be too much concerned in making money to care about art, but the collection had, at all events, proved that the sneer did not apply to

I Canterbury, and it was very gratifying !to know that the material for such a fine Exhibition could be furnished by such a small community. It was an evidence of a high standard of artistic taste aud a genuine love of art. Many of the paintings which they were nowadmiring were shown for the first time in New Zealand, but it was to be hoped that some of them would find a restingplace in the permanent collection of the Society. A circular letter had been received from the president of the Wellington Art Society suggesting that a conference should be called to impress upon the Government the undoubted fact that the societies had a claim upon them as factors m the education of the public, and the societies in the four centres should receive an annual grant of £500. If there were any members of Parliament present, he hoped to hear from them that the Council of the Art Society could rely on their sunnort in this matter. Mr H. S. Wardell, the president of the Wellington Art Society, from whom the circular letter was received, was present with them that evening, and he (the speaker) would, before declaring the Loan Exhibition open, ask Mr Wardell to say a few word";. MR WARDELLS ADDRESS. Mr Wardell said that he had come down to Christchurch to enjoy the pleasure of inspecting the nictures in thy Christchurch Loan Exhibition. Hifriend, Mr Jamieson, however, had asked him to say a few words, and he had pleasure in complying with his request. Fir_t he desired to congratulate the Art Society most heartily, and not only the Society, but the district of Christchurch, on the fact that there was in the possession of the residents of the locality such a collection of pictures as he had had the pleasure of inspecting that day. In all humility he desired to say that In his opinion the whole collection was one of the highest character, and it was to him an astonishing thing that with the exception perhaps of half a, dozwi, the whole of the pictures in the exhibition came from a radius of a mile and a half from the gallery. Such a result could not, he was sure, be obtained in any other part of the Dominion, and it showed that in Christchurch the lovo of art had taken a firm hold. He hoped tho example set by ihe Christchurch Art Society in getting together such a magnificent collection of pictures would spread, and that -ill portions of the Dominion would endeavour to follow the example of Chnstohurch. He said all portions but perhaps Auckland might say that it had taken the lead. However, so far as they in Wellington were concerned, they looked to Canterbury n.» the leader in matters of art. Th= Wellington Art Society had beestyled a struggling society. So they were, but they were struggling to accomplish something which they hoped to achieve, and if they could do anything like the Canterbury Art Society had done, they would be satisfied. With reference to the circular letter of which their president had spoken, they wanteu all the art societies in the Dominion to co-operate in urging upon the Stats what he held was its duty. The State recognised its duty in the matter ff education, and did its best in the matter of technical schools. But it was in the higher field of art that little or nothing was done by the Government.' Some time ago £2000 was voted to the art societies of the Dominion, £500 to each. But what he wanted to see done was this, that tbe Government should givo them £2000 every year. The one donation received had been a great help, but they wanted' to know that they could depend upon having a permanent endowment. There was not one civilised Government in the world which did not assist the higher branches of art. They saw large sums paid by Governments in Europe for the acquiring of pictures by eminent artists. These ,pictures were not bought for their financial but for their educational value, and he wanted to see their Government granting £500 per annum to each of the four principal societies for purely educational purposes. He did not want to see that money used in encouraging their own artists by purchasing their pictures, but in acquiring the best of those of European artists, so as to form a collection the educational value of which to their own artists it would be difficult to estimate. The love of art was one of ithe ines* civilising influences in the world, and he trusted the members of the Canterbury Art Society would bring their influence to bear to induce the State to make some such recognition of its value as he had pointed' out. The citizens of Christchurch hadi been most generous in their assistance to the Canterbury Art Society, as their very excellent permanent collection am,ply proved. He trusted they would be able to get the assistance of the Government to enable them to carry out the work to which he had alluded. VOTES OF THANKS. The President said that on behalf of tho Council and the members of the Society he had to thank very heartily those ladies and gentlemen who had so kindly lent their pictures for exhibition, and also those whose offers of pictures could not be accepted for lack of room. He trusted their members would do all in their power to swell the number of members of the Society. (Applause.) He had now to declare the Exhibition open. The Exhibition will be o-oen from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., and from 7.30 to 10 p.m. daily.