ARTIST IN SPAIN

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 220, 13 June 1933, Page 8

ARTIST IN SPAIN

New Zealander Reviews His Favourite Country ARCHITECTURAL CHANGES Impressions of modern Spain from the viewpoint most dear to an artist the beautiful and the picturesque—were described by a prominent New Zealand painter, Mr. A. E. Baxter, on his return yesterday after a four years’ tour of Britain and Europe. Air. Baxter arrived with his wife and family in Wellington on the Makura from Sydney yesterday morning, leaving for his home in Christchurch last night. Although he had visited many other countries in the past, four years in search of subjects for his paintings, including Great Britain, France, Italy, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, and Bavaria, this much-travelled artist said yesterday that of all Europe he was most enamoured of Spain. He had visited that country three times already, and would go again as soon as he was able. Air. Baxter grew enthusiastic over the kindness of the people and the beauty of the countryside, and particularly so of the architecture of modern Madrid. “Madrid is beginning to be a divinely beautiful city now that the. design of its buildings is under control, or seems to be. There must be an architect that has the final word to say on what any proposed buildings are going to be like and how they will be placed to contrast or harmonise with the neighbouring structures. Madrid’s new sky-line is most picturesque, with towers, domes and turrets wonderfully aligned away from the observer in the street. When he moves they fall into other beautiful combinations against the sky. Old Madrid was not like that; the change to the type of harmonised rugged beauty cannot be accidental. There must be a master-mind behind the whole thing.”

People’s New Spirit.

Since the, revolution he had noticed a new spirit In Spain, Mr. Baxter continued. There seemed to be an awakening of the intellect. The people said they had no money, so did the Government. and yet all over the country huge buildings of really beautiful design were going up. Mr. Baxter had been in Spain during the latter part of the revolution that deposed King Alfonso, and he was amazed at a certain feeling that grew in the minds of. a considerable proportion of the peasant class of people. As soon as the revolution was over and the republic established, he said,, they found themselves with the idea that all land and goods were going to be divided among them. Servant girls and the like gave up good positions and went back to their native villages to take up their “estates.” When they arrive 1 only to find that there was to be no equal, distribution .of the .goods and chattels of the-rich village' landowner they became wildly dismayed. Mr. Baxter was greatly interested m the spirit of the Catalonians, who wanted to separate from Spain. They had become very progressive—one could almost feel it in the air—and they now were building their own locomotives, railways, and motor-cars. Spain was a curious country. In other parts the two-thousand-years-old type of wooden plough was still being used cheerfully and contentedly. New Zealanders in Art. While in London Mr. Baxter met Mabel Hill, another New Zealand painter, who had studied in Wellington under the Scottish master Nairn many years ago. She was doing very well in England, he said, as also was Sydney Thompson, a former Christchurch man whom he had met there. Quoting a list of acquaintances in contemporary British art circles Mr Baxter spoke with some authority when he said that there was very little evidence of the ultra-modern movement in art in England to-day “While it had its day it had a good .influence, though,” he remarked. “The movement has stirred up the orthodox painters; it has given them a jolt, and by that cause,’ their work has been pushed on a stage farther. It has more vitality now than before.” f Pictures in. Royal Academy. Mr. Baxter has had considerable success with his work during his travels abroad. Two df his pictures were hung last year in the Royal Academy, and this year one in the Royal Academy and another in the Royal British Academy. While in New Zealand Mr. Baxter intends giving an exhibition of his work in Christchurch, and perhaps one or two other cities. He is not certain yet whether he will exhibit in Wellington, most of his plans being still indefinite.