LOSS OF PAINTINGS

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 109, 1 February 1930, Page 11

LOSS OF PAINTINGS

REFERENCE IN LONDON PAPERS As reported in the London papers just to hand, the wreck of the Manuka was quite a secondary consideration to the loss of the paintings by British artists, which went down with her. Both in. headings and letterpress it is the loss of the paintings that is emphasised, great regret being expressed that so many fine canvases should have been given up to the sea. Under the circumstances it might have been expected that the artist-owners would be very seriously concerned over their loss, but according to Mr. Murray Fuller, their selling agent at this end, they have, almost without exception, written and condoled with him over the mishap, and regretting that he "would be so greatly put out after all the trouble he had taken to introduce these works of art to Australia and New Zealand. It was indeed fortunate that the paintings were not all on the one vessel. Although many of the went down in the Manuka, there is Still a fine collection of oils and water-colours left, and a show of these pictures is to be opened to the public at the Academy of Fine Arts by the president (Hon. T. S. Weston) on Saturday next. The “Manchester Guardian” states: — “Nearly thirty of the. British artists who waited with such anxiety through a week of winter gales to hear that the Italian masterpieces had arrived safely in the Thames have learned to-day that pictures of their own have been wrecked on the New Zealand coast during a .summer fog. Theirs is a double disappointment, because the pictures were not only going out to be exhibited throughout the Dominion ; there was every reason to believe that most, if not all, of them would be purchased there.” The “Daily Chronicle,” in a sub-leader, states:—“The sinking of the liner Manuka, carrying valuable pictures by Sir William Orpen, Dame Laura Knight, Mr. Arnesly Brown, Mr. Lamoma Birch and other artists, intended for exhibition in New Zealand, gives point to our expression of uneasiness at the time when the ‘Leonardo da Vinci,’ with a cargo of priceless Italian paintings, steamed into a gale. We expressed doubt, then, as to the wisdom of entrusting so. many of the world’s masterpieces to a single vessel. With this object-lesson before us, would it not be a wise precaution on the return journey to divide these irreplaceable treasures among several ships? Fortunately, part of Mr. Murray Fuller's collection was sent direct to New Zealand from London by another vessel.”