Overseas Paintings Lent For Exhibition

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31727, 10 July 1968, Page 14

Overseas Paintings Lent For Exhibition

Works by several famous British and Australian artists, including Turner, Paul Nash, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Sidney Nolan, and William Dobell, will be on exhibition next month in the Canterbury Society of Arts gallery in Gloucester Street, in an exhibition of overseas paintings lent from private collections, mainly in Canterbury.

The works—prints, paintings, water-colours, maps, and drawings—would range from early Victorian times to the present, and would give a special emphasis to Australian art, said Mrs Rhona Fleming, who is heading the sub-committee arranging the exhibition for the society.

So far about 50 works have been promised from all parts of Canterbury, and two consignments are due from Wellington.

The society is calling the show the “Seldom Seen” exhibition—a title chosen because of the “private” nature of the works, which are in private collections and have not been shown publicly. The object of the exhibition was to show the variety of art works in the hands of private collectors, Mrs Fleming said. “It will be a small, rather select, show with about 60 items. “Some particularly interesting Australian works have been offered, and we will be able to trace most of the history of Australian painting, from the very early days to the present.” At least one, and perhaps more than one, Sidney Nolan painting and a William Dobell print had been promised. There would also be an interesting series by a modern Australian painter, Brett Whiteley, who recently exhibited in London to good notices. Also represented would be William Pidgeon, three times winner of the Archibald Prize, one of the leading Australian art awards, Mrs Fleming said. Although the exhibition will be restricted to paintings

from overseas, two New Zealand-born artists will be included; Frances Hodgkins and Raymond Mclntyre. Mr Mclntyre did all his painting overseas and was well known as a portraitist. One of his works is being lent by the director of the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, Mr W. S. Baverstock. The exhibition will open on August 11, in the afternoon —a departure from the society’s normal practice, which is to hold its openings in the evening.