Exhibition Of Van Der Velden’s Art Opens

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30286, 12 November 1963, Page 15

Exhibition Of Van Der Velden’s Art Opens

It was fitting that Christchurch. the home of so many fine painters should pay homage to one who more than • any other, gave painting in New Zealand professional status, said Mr S. B. Maclennah. the director of the Nat>o*»al Art Gallery. Wellington, opening the exhibition of. paintings of Petrus van dec Velden, in the Robert MeDougall Art Gallery, last evening. Van der Velden. who was probably the first professional : painter to settle in New Zealand. at Christchurch was at 1 th* stage where he could ba called ‘‘neglected,” said Mr Maclennan. "He is neither modern nori old enough to be exciting, i Too recent to be rediscov- ■ • red. and two distant to be contemporary,” he said. Van der Velden was an artist worthy of study, he said. It was not an easy thing to maintain a sense of values when so much that was contemporary was presented in this country where there were virtually no old mas-1 ters to preserve a sdnse of■ tradition. Mr Maclennan said that, there was a similarity be-: tween van der Velden and his younger contemporary.! van Gogh. The similarity was 1 most marked in the peasant drawings of both artists. Van der Velden's drawings,

, showed ample evidence of his interest in people and everyday happenings. However, these rarely appeared in his finished paintings done in New Zealand, perhaps because life here was not colourful enough for him, said Mr Maclennan. Mr Maclennan said he was impressed by the layout of the exhibition. It was very interesting to see the finished painting set out with i the studies and drawings of it Van der Velden had played a great part in estbaUshing the eminence of Christchurch iin visual art. The city had always been a professional : city, he said. A good academy exhibition in WellingI ton always had a good representation of Christchurch artists. Wellington was more staid in its art and architecture. It lacked the stimulus of an art school, said Mr Maclennan. The director of the galley (Mr W. S. Baverstock) said I the exhibition of van der Velden's works had fulfilled ! a long cherished ambition. The exhibition was confined to works owned by Christchurch people. “If all his works scattered throughout New Zealand had been collected it would be a tremendous exhibition,” he said.