ART EXHIBITION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 16, 14 October 1907, Page 9

ART EXHIBITION.

OPENED BY THE GOVERNOR. • QUESTION OF STATE ASSISTANCE. Pictures and sculpture, hitherto chiefly pored upon by anxious, reverent eyes in studio recesses, woro exposed to the bold glances and frank criticisms of tho Philistines and others for the first timo on Saturday, when His Excellency tho Governor declared open the ninoteenth animal exhibition of the Now Zenland Academy of Fine Art, Remarks by tho President. Tho President of tho Academy (Mr. H. -S. .Wardell), in requesting His Excellency •to perform this ceremony, made mention of tho exhibits in art craft as a deserving feature of the exhibition. Whilo they regretted that owing to death and other causes some muchesteomed exhibitors of tho past were not roprosented, they felt that they had good reason to bo gratified with the collection on the walls, showing, as it did, the excellence attained by somo of tho local artists, and improvement of the work of others. Possibly there wero somo pictures , ' which might not satisfy a severe critic, but the main thing was to stimulate effort. He wished to say that tho soloction had been made by tho committeo as a whole, and not, as had been stated, by three or four members. The re r ' jections amounted to seventy. Ono of the objects of thoso exhibitions was to encourage the study and practice of art by affording a favourable opportunity to artists to find a sale for their pictures, and it was hoped that thero would be a long list of purchases, independent of the Art Union. The opening of the gallery to tho public.had involved a hoavy expense to the funds of tho Academy,, which had necessitated a reduction in the amount set apart for the Art Union... Tho 'remedy for their financial weakness was an increase in tho ■ number of subscribing members. Fifteen yoars ago there woro in Wellington 74 artists and 94 subscribing members of tho Academy. Now there were oighty artists, and 160 subscribing members. Tho Council fo!t that there should be a considerable incroase of membership to make tho Academy fairly representative of 'Wellington' at tho present day. They appealed to meru,.bers and friends to do' what they could to bring about an inordaso in the roll of membership. They woro greatly indebted to Sir Joseph Ward for permission to deposit tho Academy's permanent pictures in tho Railway Buildings while the exhibition was being held. At'the samo time, tho pormanont housing of these pictures must bo attended to without delay, either by tho Academy or by the city.' For himself, ho hoped that tho municipality would conio to thoir aid. Moanwhilo the Council, hoped to.add to the number of pictures, and, as they were almost impecunious, any donations from the public would bo very acceptable. He hoped that the day was not'far distant when it would bo gonorally recognised that in all civilised countries art should bo nourished and nurtured, by the State,' and that tho Government would be able — because ho did not doubt thoir willingness — to grant a liberal .annual-subsidy for tho support of picture galleries in tho Dominion. If they felt that' that was boyond their means, ho hoped that they would seo their way to grant, at any rate, a subsidy on all public subscriptions. He askod His Excellency to declare the exhibition open. ■■■,■' •■■'.'' His Excellency's Speech. . Lord Plunket, reforriiig to the question of Government assistance, said ho noticed without much surprise that thero' woro no, me'mbors of tho Govornmont present at tho moment. Someono must havo' givon them a hint of tho remarks that would bo made Thoroforo it devolved on him to say what ho thought to bo the feeling of the Government and tho fooling that would animato the voters generally on this subject. "Pictorial art was, an elevating and ennobling thing, but probably everyone realised what great calls thore wcro on tho Government, especially-, of a young country lik'o Now Zealand. He believed that tho best way to got nionoy from the Government was to put , ' their hands into their own pockets first. As to tho remarks of tho President on the subject of more support.being given to the gallery by the popplo of Wellington, he thoroughly agreed with it; Ho know very little about art, but ho had always gone to' tho exhibitions, at Homo, and was greatly interested in pictures. In his country, Ireland, thero was only ono annual exhibition; in Now Zealand there wore sovoral in various centres. Therefore, it was moro important to them to support their own oxhibition,, and, since the subscription was no more than a guinea a year, ho thought moro people would bo glad to pay their money if they woro approached, and to give very real interest and support to tho movement in the future - Perhaps he was teaching his grandmother to ■suck eggs, hut ho was only putting the matter as it-appeared to him. Ho was glad to see such a good exhibition, and such promise of artists coming on. Ho had great pleasure in declaring tho exhibition open. The other members of tho platform party at the ceremony wore Lady Ward and Miss AVnrd, Mrs. Hislop, Mrs. Wallis. Captain Gathorne Hardy, A.D.C. to His Excellency, Messrs. L. H. B. Wilson, and J. K. Joynt (vice-presidents of tho Academy), Bishop Wallis, and Miss D. K. Richmond (members of tho Council). . ...',.' AMONC THE WATER-COLOURS. (BY PALETTE.) A Christchurch connoisseur, whose judgment carries weight upon such subjects, has just returned from visiting the Sydnoy Art exhibition. After boing given 'an advance view of the Wellington collection the other day, ho statod that it was of singularly even merit, and, in his opinion,. above the standard of tho Sydney pictures. Studying tho water-colours, one quickly picks out Owen Merton's "Fruit Stall, Port Said," as a particularly .vigorous bit of painting. A red-gowned, dark-turbaiiod, swarthy Moor stands beside the ruddy pile of fruit in his brown, Eastern stall. A blue "sky looks down upon a sea of deeper blue, and a white building on.tho right throws the other colours into greater prominence. " Inveran in pry Dock, Lyttelton," by the same artist, is a vory dainty, bright little sketch. These stand out from,among several other pictures by Mr. Morton. "A Quiot Stream,', , , an English sketch, by, L. E. Baird,' is notable for good colouring. Two pictures by Miss Waymouthi "Farmyard" and "Governor's Bay Road," together with some paintings by A. W. Walsh, possess a '.'feeling" that' is absent from a great many, other exhibits, tho'.."little moro, and how much it is," if I may misquote, which is above moro -technique A golden haystack, trees before it, and white fowls, with thoir bright rod combs, pocking among the'green grass in tho foreground;' make up tho. "Farmyard", scene, over which there broods iho atmosphere, of a warm and lazy summer afternoon. On the "Governor's Bay Road" the cows are dawdling homeward down tho winding hill track, big blue-gums, just a trifle solid, break tho- under viow-.of deop blue, motionless sea; and all tho world is at peace ■ ' - ' In "'Evening, Lake Brunner," Mr. Walsh brings moro than paint - to boar upon the reproduction of tangled bush and sleeping lake, folded in tho .first darkening shades of evening. His "Old Hulk, Lyttelton," is a clover piece of work, in which the green sparkling sea, the white gulls hovering above it, and tho ships and cordago mako an effective whole. . : ...: ; ... . " Sunsot," by E. M. Boero, shows tho sun sinking below the plain in waves of rich, goldon splendour. Sheep nibblo leisurely, and a few trees break tho monotony of flatness in tho background. l . " Paris Grove," by Miss E. K. Richmond, 'is a vory natural bit of bush painting with' massive trees, and sheep on a grassy foreground. Somo very lifo-liko violets,' by L. E,. Baird, want only, smell; .and among other flowor pictures "Primroses," by Clolia Burton, deserves special praise. Most of tho to-. maininc flowers are somewhat stiff. "A Dartmoor Mist," England, is a veryfaithful specimen of C. N. Worsley's work, contrasting with his brighter southern views. Thb "Glow of Afternoon, Devonpqrt," by W. H. Carter, junior, is a clover little colour effect by a young artist of promise. Tho exhibition was woll attended. on Saturday afternoon and ovoning. It will bo opon again to-das.,