NEW ZEALAND ACADEMY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 71, 24 March 1926, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND ACADEMY

EXHIBITION OF PICTURES

WOKKS OF WALSH-AND HANSON.

A wonderfully interesting collection of paintings in water-colour is now on exhibition at the Art. Gallery; Whitmore street—a collection worthy of the .careful attention of connoisseur and student alike. It comprises works by the late Alfred W. Walsh and the late Albert Hanson, two painters who form an, interesting contrast, both in outlook and technique. ' • •■■•■■ Walsh, though born in .Victoria (writes "W.S.W."), is essentially a New Zealand painter, for, having settled "here at a very early age, he never left the country, and as he was largely self : taught his work is in reality a home-grown product, and one of which New Zealanders may well be proud. His works have an originality of outlook and treatment • altogether charming; and.there is such spirit, in the handling of-his-medium that when looking at his pictures one. cannot .but enjoy some of the sensations that the artist experienced, and. share with him his love of New Zealand scenery. ..• „.-.. . :..• On approaching the present exhibition, one's attention is immediately caught and held by the large work, "Fishing Boats, Kaikoura" (No. 19), a vigorous landscape with bluish bush-clad hills forming an effective background ■ against the ' powerfully painted cumulus cloud- of the sky, additional interest being added, by a few scattered buildings very cleverly suggested. The boats themselves, drawn up on a marshy stretch of beach, are directly and skilfully treated. ' ' ; ' "The Bushman's Hut" (No. 9) is another ambitious work which is thoroughly satisfying. It is imbued with the romance of the bush "and the mountains, and the sombre trees and settler's hut are painted in a masterly manner. The trail of blue wood-smoke from the timbered chimney gives a hint of human occupation that adds charm to the subject. ."Bushmen's Shacks, Kaikoura," is a smaller work in a similar vein, and has the same delightful open-air freshness,' One of the gems of the collection is "The Edge of the Bush" (No. 12), a fine example of the direct" method. It is full of beautiful colour, is rich in tone, and well-arranged. The: painting of the tall totara in the foreground is a lesson in itself. "Th« Teremakau Valley" (No. 28) alsq captures, the feeling, of New. Zealand, afad "Mount Cook" ■ (No. * 15) is interesting as an early example of the artist's work and.for. its faithful drawing. Nos. 2, 17, 24, 33, and 39, are subjects round about Auckland Harbour, and all are excellent drawings.i. Walsh's. loye of ships is exemplified in all of them. How skilfully he suggests the rigging and spars with his deft, virile brushwork,. how liquid and sparkling is his sea, and how truthful and harmonious tne colour of all! "A Grey Bay—Kaikoura" is a marine subject in a: different vein—the foaming waves breaking on the beach, a fine little work full of the movement of the water. "Taurarfga Harbour" (No. 18) is yet another delightful work, breezy and "slick," while "On the Kaikoura Coast" (No. 4) is a striking study of rocks, sand, and sea, withjeveMike touches of colour and fine quality of tone. There are also several landscapes about Christehurcli, "On the Avon;* (No. 23) being the best of these—a familiar reach of the river just' above the Carlton Bridge. There is a winter crispness about i this picture that is delightful, and the tracery of the leafless trees against the sky is very beautifully done. ■ . ..... Several of the smaller works are frankly sketches, but are none the worse for that. They lend an added charm to an already interesting exhibition. Albert Hanson was the son of a doctor practising in Sydney, and was born there some time in the 'fifties. His natural bent was in the direction of' painting. As he grew up, colour, feeling, and freedom to express himself pictorially in his own way attracted him more and more, but he had to accept architecture as a profession, though its technical requirements proved irksome and distasteful to him. However, it had the ■compensation that it; brought hini~:into touch and intimacy with'Robert Louis Stevenson, who arrived in Sydney in 1890, and -was detained for a! time by.'a recurrence:of his old malady, consumption. Desiring to build, a house at Samoa he selected' Hanson as a man who was at heart a painter, and only by accident an architect, and Hanson designed the house at Vailima, which is now the Government House, along with Stevenson-. On His coming to Dunedin in 1900, with an already made reputation in artistic circles, Hanson's work attracted immediate attention. His time was taken up teaching and painting, but his health broke down, and he had to return to Sydney. Several of his best pictures were purchased by the Dunedin Gallery; and a number were sold .privately. He continued to send watercolours to the Dunedin yearly exhibition until his death, about 15 years ago.. Hanson's technique is quite different from that of Walsh; his methods are not so direct, but all his pictures charm the eye with their beautiful soft tints; He, too," loved "the sea, but it was usually, the open stretches and rugged coastlines that he chose to paint, j There are several fine examples of such I subjects in the present Exhibition, notably "Narrabeen' (No. 1), a .tenderly painted watercolour which catches the peculiar quality of the Australian atmosphere admirably.* There are some delightful blues and greenßiin the sea, and the rocky headlands gleam ..through an amethyst haze. "The Sapphire of the Southern Seas" (No. 5) is equally attractive, a big work broadly conceived, with a wonderful feeling of space and the.same beautiful colour: quality. ; . - . •,-:■■:.• "The Jetty (No. 11) is a .smaller.work, more directly handled,-.,the predominant tones being golden—a picture excellent in composition and colour. "A West Coast River Bed" has some delightful greys in it, and jb an intriguing composition which catches the local atmosphere well. "Ploughing" (No. 7) is an important work,' with fine poetic feeling and delicate colour—a picture all lovers of horses will enjoy. Most of his pictures dealing with New Zealand are small, but all' have subtle colour, values, and a personal point of view that is very attractive., Those responsible for the exhibition are to be congratulated and thanked" for their initiative, for such shows do much to stimulate interest, in art and give pleasure and instruction to many. The exhibition will remain open till 31st March, and those who have not already done so should hasten to pay it a visit. ...'