Art and Art Galleries

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21866, 20 August 1936, Page 10

Art and Art Galleries

A strong case for the inclusion of better pictures in New Zealand art galleries has been made out by a visitor to Christchurch, Mr R., Barnett, a London art dealer. Mr Barnett no doubt speaks with considerable knowledge of his subject, but his acquaintance with local conditions is too short to enable his remarks to be accepted without question. He makes a plea for the inclusion of more works by old masters in our, galleries, and in that he will be supported by all art lovers in this country. There has been and is no antipathy towards the older forms of art, but an absolute lack of money for the purchase of such works as have been available from time to time. Art galleries in New Zealand have suffered greatly through the absence -of wealthy patronage, and even where sums of money have been at the disposal of boards of trustees' for the purchase of additional pictures, there has been a very human tendency to let quantity rather than quality be the deciding factor. As a result, money which would have purchased perhaps one outstanding work has been devoted to the purchase of three or four works of good average quality. For the rest, our galleries have been largely dependent upon bequests of private collections in which the works of old

masters have not been conspicuous. A second point made by Mr Barnett is that our galleries possess too many faorks by local artists. “The “ public,” he says, “ does not want to go to the “ galleries and see the work of local artists. “ which’ they can always find about them.” If Mr Barnett is right, then where is the work of local artists to be seen if we exclude it from our galleries? Surely one of the first functions of a New Zealand art gallery would be the exhibition of work by local artists. Admirable as it is to aim at providing our galleries with a selection of the work of the old masters to serve as a guide to artistic perfection, there is also a duty to be performed towards those local artists who are striving to express in creative form the native culture of this country. For them the art galleries can offer a necessary encouragement, without losing sight of their other object Of providing samples c' the best art that can be procured. It is too much to expect a young country to provide the equivalent of a Royal Academy, a Tate Gallery, and a British National Gallery, especially under the restrictions imposed by limited funds. In the main centres the function of the municipal art gallery must remain a two-fold one: to provide a home for the better work of local artists, and to acquire as it may outstanding works from the world’s art collections. If. this point is borne in mind, Mr Barnett’s criticism might be applied more properly to the new National Gallery in Wellington. f «•'