EXHIBITION PICTURES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14386, 31 May 1907, Page 5

EXHIBITION PICTURES.

ARTISTS' ELUCIDATIONS. In the course of an address to the Society of Arts last evening, Mr A. A. Longcien, who was in charge ol the Art Gallery at the Exhibition, said there had been much discussion as to the meanings of several of the pictures shown in the Art Gallery, including some that had been purchased by or for the Canterbury Society or Arts. The diversity of opinion was eo great that ho _ wrote Home to Sir Isitiaro Spielman, the Hon Director of Fine Art for Great Britain, and asked him to approach certain painters. The chief pictures under discussion, were " The Cardinal, by Sir James Linton, which was purchased bv Mr Heat-cn Rhodes, "The Kings Rival," purchased by the National Gallery of New South Wales, "The Merchant," purchased by Mr Haller.stein, and tho " Wizard's Garden," purchased, bv the Society, and "Outward Bomid," by Mr Arthur Hopkins. The replies' received from Sir Isidore were as follow: "Outward Bound," by Artnur Hopkins. R.W.S.— Tho girl who bias fallen asleep on tho deck is an emigrant on a ves-sed which has just sailed. She is leaving her old home for a new, ana, though she has been crying, there is hone for a bright future suggested by .1 gleam of sunlight ahead. Before falling asleep, she has drawn the flag around her as a. wrap. , r , TT , " The Merchant," by John Hassal, R. I —The artist intended to call this picture "In. Old Castille," as it was suggested by a passage m V 01. 11. of "TlTe Races of Mankind." that "the Castilians may be taken, as the representatives of the proud Hidalgo oh history and. fiction. They are dignified and solemn, and the maintenance of an intense ceremoniousness may be .taken as their most notable characteristic.

The paper iu the Merchant's hand is a list of liis stock-in-trade—five poor earthenware pots, which he is noting as " all correct." Too proud to work, lie is a past master in. the art of starving porapouslv. He site comfortably enough outside the town \v«Il, hardly expecting a purchaser, but quite contentedly looking the world iu the face. " Teresina," by Lord Leigiiton, R.A. —This work is a good example of this noble master's work. Leigiiton from his earliest days was attached to Italian j art, and was wrapped up in the stones, legends and colour of that country. lie | was a master of form rather than col- ; our, that form, or, in other words, inj tellect, which so distinguishes European j art from the art of the East, whose characteristic is massive colour, or, in other words, ©motion. Leigiiton met and became a, firm friend of Thackeray, who was, of course, far his senior. When Thackeray returned to London ho met Millais, and, being full of the genius of the young Pre-Rgphaelite whom he left in Eome, he said. '"'Millais, my boy, I have met in Home a versatile young dog called Leigiiton, who will one of these days run you bard for the Presidentship." In 1868 Leighton was elected an Jt.A. ? and soon afterwards he was one of the first to suggest the establishment of an annual Winter Exhibition of pictures by Old Masters at Burlington. House, and so to initiate these exhibitions which have brought to light the artistic wealth of England. "The Wizard's Garden," by G. D. Leslie, R.A.—ln Medieval days it was a common practice for noblemen and their wives and daughters to consult, wizards and alchemists in order to discover the secrets of the future. In the picture the intention is to pourtray the young lady having paid such a visit to a, wizard. He wears a mask over his nose and mouth, as ho has been at work in his laboratory—the mask being used as a protection against the poisonous fumes. The brook which flows through the garden, .and the shears, are introduced as symbolical of the stream of life and destiny. The. subject was partly suggested by a beautiful shorttale by Nathaniel Hawthorne, .entitled " Rappacini's Daughter," and the artist intended painting it as an illustration to this 'story, but, as he has not been in Italy, and had no opportunity of obtaining a study of a suitable Italian garden," he resorted to the present subject, and made his heroine an English' girl in an oid-i'ashicned English garden, and Rappacini such a- wizard as has been described. " His Eminence the Cardinal," by Sir J. D. Linton, R.l.—The picture represents Cardinal Richelieu interviewing two braves whom lie may employ ia some political work. With the wellrounded suspicion of these times, he has one of his soldier retainers behind the screen to protect him in case the . bravos should possibly be in the pay of one of his enemies. The incident is really suggested by an incident in Sir Walter Scott's novel, " Quentin Durward," and is one such as must have frequently happened in the troublous times in which great rulers then lived.

SHORTAGE OF ROLLING STOCK ■' ■—— ■ —• A BETTER SYSTEM REQUIRED. [Fiat. Pbess Association.] PALMERSTON NORTH, May 30. At a meeting of delegates from botK coasts, representing the producers, tha Agricultural and Pastoral Societies, sliippors and freezing companies, held last night, to consider the inconvenience caused by the shortage of sheeptrucks, it was resolved that, since tho fat sheep and lamb trade is tho only harvest for many, it is essential for the sheep to be trucked to the freezing works as scon as possible, and that the Minister of Railways should be asked to provide further trucks and to arrange them so that there should be no delay when shipping stock at station*. It was also resolved that a much better system could be adopted at country, stations, and that forty-eight hours' notice should ba given in the event of trucks not being ready when ordered. It was decided that copies of the resolutions should be sent to the Minister of Railways and to several members oft tho House of Representatives, so that they could make representations if th» request were not granted.