MR BUTLER'S PICTURES.

Evening Star, Issue 11675, 6 February 1902, Page 4

MR BUTLER'S PICTURES.

During a recent holiday in the Waftati district Mr G. E. Butler made a number of sketches, some of which he has since finished as pictures, and these, with a few other works in oils, constitute an exhibition that was on private view this afternoon, and will be available for inspection by those invited to-morrow and the next day. There are altogether fifty-two works catalogued. Numerically, therefore, it is an important exhibition, taking up all the spare wall space in the larger room of Mr Butler's studio in Moray place. More important, the artistic merit of these paintings is conspicuous and demonstrable. The least striking of them is worthy of Mr Butler's reputation, the catalogue including absolutely nothing of the potboiler type, and the happiest of the artist's efforts are amongst the most natural representations of our local and characteristic scenery that have been shown in Dunedin. Mr Butler sees things with eyes that he can trust, and he makes fidelity to nature his first consideration, with the result that his paintings are not mere proofs of cleverness or illustrations of high technique—such as can be made in the studio and aT>ieaJ only to advanced students—%ut real pictures the beauty of which is discoverable to the public generally. Amongst the most prominent of the works on view are No. 5, 'Spring'; No. 10, 'Herding the Cowl'; ' No. 11, 'Manuka'; No. 14, 'Gathering Firewood'; No. 40, 'A Sky Study'; and No. 41, 'A Farmyard Corner.' These are full of character and brightness, and others who have the privilege of the private view will no doubt find other exhibits equally worthy of mention. The fact is that Mr Butler has excelled himself all rotmd.