ART EXHIBITION

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 939, 5 October 1910, Page 4

ART EXHIBITION

SECOND NOTICE.

Before considering the exhibits painted in oils it is necessary to call attention to the various examples of the street scenes and other sketches taken from Old Country towns and villages. There is a'quaintness about them, 'a decided Old .World flavour. They are a now field bf study, and if a, little orude and rough there are'promises of future good. work.

The sketches of "Charing.Cross," the "Statue of Charles I," and, "Interior of Old' Mill," Nos. 74, 99, and 22,/ are interesting contributions by M. Lee. There is a quiet tone about those —a prelude to something more; No. 150, "Old House, Brittany," is Ai B. Godden's best example. . Among those by Henderson' Smith, "Whitby Alleyway,". No. 130, is the 'most : convincing..,: The sketch'; note, ','The'Skylark,". N0:d58,. by F. E. Richardson, is -a happy' ni--spiration, and. has been secured by -a purchaser. Small? and? .'unpretentious,' it tells its own story," and recalls Shelley's '. ■'.'•■■/,•- :.-:■."',-■■;. v.;. '•-•■•■■'. '..■, Hail to thee,'' blithe spirit! .■:■'< Bird thou never wert,.-- '■■-' Thatfromheavenornear.it •Pourest thy full heart-, . ' : ;'- In profuse strains of unpremeditated i art. ~-...' ■ . :■■_.;; ■ ~.-• Among the'flower-studies, "Violets,"' No. 54 (M.'Walker), is very charming. The flowers are carefully drawn, and' the subject is well treated in the colour: scheme. ; Nos.-90 and 78-are studies ofroses. The first of these was exhibited; at the Salon. -No. 122, another study of.roses', by E...Beere, is not yet the Salon standard,- but- is not far ioff>,.-.', Of the pastel - work, No. 79, i-.'-JBon Jour," ranks easily first. The drawingis good. There-is:nothing harsh, and the detail-is. just-sufficient ; to .ponsti-: tute charm. It is refined.- No sacrifice of the soft shadows ;that giyethe roundness, and tho texturo to-.the ..face. ;.iOf the other pastels, Linley Richardson's No". 52,■ ' 'The Black Veil," is his -best. This artist is fond of the. dark contrasts. • '•■;'■'■-■.'■:•.■.•;-.-,.;.■ No. 91, ai .portrait by R. S. Clauston,, suggests the thought, "An enemy hath: done" this!" , The same- artist's 'name , appoars on No, 173. . There ; -is a want of-life about the : picturo, and -■',truth has given- place to-detail.. No. 178,: byLinley Richardson, .should not' have been placed, in the exhibition.- artist of the ability-.shown in' N0..212,ya portrait.of. Mrs. I——, should .-have condescended to such work aa . this,. ; : / : : : ,T;.;-'the-'OILS.:;':'; -~: . . Nos. 180 and 182, both -works by C. H. Howorth, representing ; scenes oil the Wanganui River .'and; the Bullcr Gorge, are: finished pictures' of the typical scenery-'of New Zealand that so charms the tourist. , What'.will'strike the observer is' the. similarity generally : of _the ; river scenery'of our two islands. The. colouring in No. 182 is true in every respectj- and there 'is. living .detachment about, the foliage so refreshing to look, at and so .uncommon" a'' feature' in ':, the'.'''w'ork of:''the .:greater number'of bur artists. I 'This'particular: picture-possesses many'.excellent:, quali--ties;-and' features,- notably the way'in' which '■•'.■ ;the :''•' : natural 'complementary colours or' tones have'been seized' bythe' artist and'carefully guarded..'' Both" these'.works are, essentially'melodious. The last-named : .should*.';be'v' carefully, .studied,:if only for the-fihe work on the' tree-tfunk."'.'. ■"■ '•• ■• .'•::

No'.: -187, •;■ "Coast, Scene' ; Near)'Eiyer-; .ton,";''.is.' a' brefezy,-fresh '.'spot.' ..There, is a'saltness in thefair.'.,' The 'sea is'. in : -motidVii' you '.caji;''fancy; 'you' 'hear 'the. rushing tilicomirig sound of the-bf&aking Toiler .'reaching in; to',the •sah'dy shore.' The figures '■■'. seen behind • the' beiid or fold of, the;'; sand . are ' just ■sufficient to give the human interest in the view. This' is an altogether bright, 'living, and artistic picture,; and, 1 , as might have .been anticipated, has found a purchaser. . ✓ .'No. : 188,, "Sunset Across,the Plats,", Napier, W. A F. Barraud, is distinctly a study:- of; the-glorious evening rays— those! golden : . glories one' is '.■ privileged to see : /nowrarid then, 'just -before the day tones' give',in to the more subtle harmonies, that .fade* away into night.'. This is a/fine example of sunlight,' • and ■its effect on such an-uninteresting, spot as a'low-lying swampy'shore./; '..' ;

No. 186, a large canvas'by H. H. ; Rayward, showing Kapiti Island Ifrom Paekakariki, is of another- school altogether.. .It is: the end;of the story, so to say, of the .previous picture noted./ This is the "West-turning sun fast passing/to /the/ portals; of .the night,", and/escapes''.. the -intervening harmonies that, lie' between.. This is the. endless' monotone of: sound now deepening.'' into/ a - "warning . note—of' wjiat may v 'come forth' / from:; those gathered, clouds "above."' .Still, • in -the; gloom, there is. hope in that touch of light behind, .which, is ; faithfully'.' reflected'on.the wet sand„ /'.'■ '--~

/NoV .197, '"Evening jh:Whitby .'Harbour,'' J.; M.. Madden,' is/quite' charac--teristie of the richness, arid' warmth of; tone - in ' the Northern Hemisphere. ; ,It is.curious' to note the 'effect of.' the change of vision in the, artist. He has imbibed the new atmosphere, and of course: it as-reflected in. his- work; ;vlt it quite true as a matter of experience that colours do excite or calm—what the scientists are nofr busy with..in their researches into the mysteries'.'of "ohromdtherapy." / '. The -inquiry is among". other , things directed \id'■ the discovery why among ordinary visitors, to'museums > aridv galleries few / are stirred to real feeling by a picture. ■ /'No. 229L."Trentham -,'; Pastoral,.".-by: R. Wakelin, no doubt possesses a mean-" ing, l but a. careful study of, the/ work rather suggests the idea of anxiety on the part of the grass not to .'miss the: first note of the symphony'/'when. /it» comes. If the birds .shown :in the picture are songsters, they /may give it.N0,'.226; -"The; Pathway Through,the Bush," W. A. Ballard, is/a delicately- : toned study of the tints of New Zea-\ land native bush. ;/.' There is .a -warm light/introduced ; which .is rarely- seen; in this-part of the world.-:' ; •■.-<■'. No.- 227, : Anderson,' is another study- ..somewhat ..similarly treated, but has special interest and value as an/example; hrperspeotive;/ It echoes the .inspiration of the previous, number, in which/there breathes '-the. same poetic idea.:; There, must be- something subtle• in this/form of-. inspiration. Some of our., .artists love ■the solitude and the' 'silent paths.-'- ; ■:■'•' ;;-

No. 245, ."Gorse.and Tussock,'", presents an ideal v'spot, where one could spend a day:with a book or with!a pencil and note-book —a quiet corner where what Filson" Young. calls '."consecutive thinking" co'nld be indulged in, or as he would .'•, say, "Now it is the gorse that claims my attention, now it is the shape of this or. that, piece of. grass, now it is the waving line caused by tho ; ruffling wind, now it is the dog beside you who snaps lazily at a passing fly and does not mind if he - misses 'it!" There is some indefinable., attraction ab'ojit this picture, and it has, of course, fouiura purchaser. :':'.. No'. 250, ' 'Coming of Spring" (H. M. Gore),- shows';'"considerable advance in this artist's work: The subject is a very pretty one, 1 but requires broader treatment.'-. •

No. 297, M'Ah Old Orchard" (L. E.Baird), 'botokons'■ promise of great things. This is-quote .a simple study. The orchard is there." The girl figure Mr thoro, just where it would be expected. The colouring of the- whole piece' of 'work. is good, fresh, living, and unstudied.' This is among the best examples of free work in the gallory—quite ' good enough to have a permanent place, not

as a finished picture"—it does not pretend to be that—but as-a healthy, pure colour oxample for. students. ; PORTRAITURE. From this brief notice of land- and seascape work we will now pass on to the consideration of the examples of portraiture. No. 183, portrait, Miss-Chapman, by Baldwin Warn, is a well-balanced picture, both in tone and colouring. The texturo of the dress and light scarf aro well painted, and-there is no pronounced colour to distract one from the composition as a whole. The flesh tints, are too heavy. It is quite possible; to. get .tho full value of the shadows on the face without the sudden drop from light to dark. -There is a,want of those. : subtle tints which alone can . preserve! the creamy transparency, to maintain which is and always will be the dream and aim of the artist. ; No v 236, portrait of J. H. Hosking, K.C., is by the same artist. A faithful likeness and altogether a good picture. Whether the background is not too dark may be a matter of opinion.. The; 'picture-is hung too' high, and. is not in tjie'.best light, and consequently' many':.of..the", graduated, tints are lost for the moment;' The drawing is good, and the- hands (ever the -test) are ■ wellmodelled.",-' . 'iv;:■:;-, /:'-v' '..' No. 237 'is a third \erhibit by. this ■'artist f which' has.-certain, -attractions, but is an ambitious picture/ s'oinewhai on the lines of,"and ; after; the 'Herkomer; school. "The. model who sat for the, figure was-not a;'suitable one.' That, is to say if there-was,a model. The.drawing of th 6 right arm and hand is questionable, and : . one cannot. help feeling that if this student of philosophy stood up; she ! would 'certainly attract notice from her height." The colouring: of the dress is 'the attractive feature, for all shades of violet : are calming, in. effect. .'The/seemißg : ;'after-thought' in" thecomposition : of ,tne picture presum-, ably was wanted to introduce the philosopher—in the distance/ .The student of is Vmuch: to the ' fore, which is" the spirit of the age. Nevertheless >it is a relief,to' have' a picture to look at that has.;a. motif. .''-. SALESI REBbRTED:-. ; /. ; ,: : '■'■ 'The- following sales ,are reported at the exhibition of the - New Zealand 'Academy ■': of•■'■-. Fine;-- Arte:—No. ■ 255, "Ahinata," C, F. Goldie/£l2 125.; No. 266, "All, all "are Gone," the .Old Famil-. iar Faces,". H., 1 Linley '; Richardson,. R.8.A., £42; No. 108,'."Springtime,"; M. 0. Stoddart,.£s,os.;jNo. 124, "The Gum.:Trees,".:,M. ; 0: Stoddart, £8 Bs,: No. 101, "Colombo," Owen Merton,.' £4,45.; No.; 119, "An Australian Landscape," Albert Hanson,'£6 65.; No. 231,' '"Sketch," K. M,; Haridyside, £1 105.;,' No. .15,, "The. Flicker of "Morning Sunlight," H. Linky Richardson,' £6 6s.'; 'No. 179, ''After,Rain,,;Rotorua,"W. F. ; Barraud,; £5 ss.'; "No, 1. 158, .;.' 'The Skylarky". Fanny ;E, : Richardson, £2 155.; No. 187,.:"Coast Scene near Riverton,"' C. H.. Howorth,"£lo'' 10s.; No. 245,.. "Gorse and! Tussock,; Southland,": C..H. Howorth,'.£6 ,65.; -No. -104,: "Moonlight, : .Venice,"','.EL Proctor,. '£6 '65.; Np. 221, "Memories—Rakapa," C. ;F. : Goldie, £15 155.:; N0:.222,' "Sophia/ ■the, Heroine of Tarawera,".: C. F: Gol'die,' £15' 15s.;'No. 258, "A; Ngatiraukawe. Joke,"--C. F;'Goldie, ,£12.,125: : ;; painted china vase, W. H.;Carter; five 1 pieces hand-beaten silver,. Alfred Atkinson. :'. --■ "'"':■:■"••.-.'.-■ ■. .:•. y ";■',. ::".-'.'.:•■