ART TREASURES

Evening Star, Issue 21708, 1 May 1934, Page 5

ART TREASURES

ARRESTING BRITISH COLLECTION notable exhibition opens to-morrow The opening to-morrow afternoon of the exhibition of pictures collected in England by the Empire Art Loan Collection Society and brought put by Mr C. R. Chisman, an organising director of the society, will be .an important event in the artistic life of the dominion. Dunedin has been, accorded the privilege of the first view of an arresting collection, the constitution of which will undoubtedly occasion wide interest and comment. The; greatest living artists in the Royal Academy, tire new Art Club, and the London Group are represented in the collection, which covers the development of British art through a period of sixty or seventy years, and has a range from the academic through to the modern. It includes oils, water colours, drawings in ink and pencil, etchings, lithographs, aquatints, and woodcuts, it was not possible to have a representation of sculpture on this occasion, 'but. at- some later - date it is Imped to have a selection of this work on exhibition. The collection is largely devoted to the work? of contemporary artists. Among the representations of deceased artists are tnose of Orpen. Sargent, and Whistler. The celebrated art personalities of to-day whose work will he on view include Augustus John, Sir D. Y. Cameron, Philip Connard. Sir William Rothenstein. Wilson Steer. Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell, and William Roberts in oils, and in drawing, prints, and water colours Muirhead Bone, Walter Russell. Gerald Rockliurst, Janies M‘Bey, and Sir George Clausen. Mr Chisman considers that it is an extraordinarily representative collection, particularly so in view of the fact that to make it possible the owners parted with their art treasures for a period of from twelve to eighteen months. In consenting to‘lend their valuable possessions for transit overseas they all displayed a remarkably generous spirit, and Mr Chisman feels that the Dunedin public will 1 not fail to appreciate their gesture. Mr Chisman is of the opinion that the collection, catering as it does for all tastes and exemplifying the development of British art, is just what is needed to stimulate interest in art in Yew Zealand and also in the art organisations of the dominion. He feels very strongly that this collection, good as it is, would have appeared to better advantage if it had been possible to have shown it in the Art Gallery, which is ideal in its lighting and arrangement. Mr Chisman said that the exhibition would look immeasurably better in these surroundings. “ I think that it ought to be possible for the Dunedin public gallery to constantly have loan exhibitions to which the public could be invited free,” continued Mr Chisman. “It would be a valuable educational and artistic measure. Such a scheme is in operation in practically all the municipal centres in England, and in almost every city the town council devotes a grant for the maintenance of its art gallery, including a sum for the provision of frequent loan exhibitions to which the public is admitted free. These exhibitions' provide a constant stimulation to art education. The committee of the loan society has visualised this collection being shown in public art -galleries, and 1 feel it is for the ratepayers of this city to establish a regular allowance for future exhibitions in the public gallery.” Mr Chisman added that what struck him about the local gallery was, apart from the very high quality of a number of works shown there, the extremely fine arrangement of the hanging. The. works were beautifully hung in a spacious setting, each individual work haying its own distinct place and not suffering from interference by its neighbour. This gallery, he considers, more than sustains the high tone of the galleries in Wanganui and Christchurch. Taking gallery and collection together, he would place it first. He was surprised and impressed with the fact that there should he so many delightful examples of the work of the greatest artists, not only in the galleries, but in the private homes of the dominion.