LUNCHEON CLUB

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 284, 4 November 1925, Page 10

LUNCHEON CLUB

“PICTURES AND THEIR PAINTING.” ADDRESS BY MR D. AY. LOW. Air D W. Low gave an interesting address at the Citizens’ Luncheon Club this afternoon on “Pictures and their Painting.” Air R. H. Billons was in the chair. Mr Low stated that lie would speak of painting in a general manner. When we considered that paintings formed a universal language it became of interest to everybody to realise how wo could go into any country and, though not able to understand the language, understand the pictures. We could understand Chinese and Japanese art without a knowledge of the speech of those countries; we could appreciate a picture liy Velasquez without knowing Italian —the language of the painting appealed to childhood and to those of an older age; to men ■and women in all circumstances of life. Continuing, the speaker referred to rock carvings and stone drawings, stating that we could learn something from the efforts of the savages, a great deal from tho drawings of children, and in itch more from the works of tins master painters; a picture was a decoration, not merely a transcript of anything seen, not merely a transcript ol a particular piece of Nature.

One often wondered, stated the lecturer, why pictures did not vary in shape; one rarely saw a triangular picture or n picture with lengths of varying form, hut that was becauso they were to he placed on walls and so had to ho suitable therefor. It could be asked what part Nature played in a picture’s production. Nature, before she was placed in the picture, had first to pass through the artist’s mind. Tho picture was tile result of two things: Nature herself and the impression she had made on the painter’s mind. And there were strange methods frequently used in the arrangement of a work. It was on record that Leonardo used to watch the marks made by Time anil damp on the walls of churches, on old buildings. These ho would imagine to take certain shapes, and from these some of his finest pictures had developed. One of our great English landscape painters, Gainsborough, used to amuse himself by making toy landscapes. These would suggest the making of a picture. He would then go out into a field, and with this imaginary picture in liis mind would produce one of his finest scenes. And various methods were used by caricaturists—the crumpling of a piece of paper might suggest a face. WHAT ARTISTS AIL'ST KNOW. One of the things, continued MrLow, an artist had to accomplish in painting was the art of knowing what to leave out. The science ol picture making had been described as “the science of leaving out.” Every picture had to convey some feeling, some emotion. It might be asked in what way did an artist express emotion. There were many ways. One was by a simple arrangement of lines. His hearers all knew the value ol curved lines in tiie garden. The same thing applied in pictures. And if all looked closely at the paintings one would see that these lines formed their basis. Then there was the choice of colours. A colour that “hit one in tho eye” made a different impression on the beholder from a quieter and more sombre handling. In judging a good picture, tho speaker went on, there were many points to be considered. One was unity and a picture must be about one tiling or, as it had been said, there should not be little pictures all over the place; all colour groups must make one coherent whole; there should be nothing to divert the interest. Another feature was what might be called life—if that sense was absent the picture left one uninterested. And yet another important feature was affinity; that something in a picture we could not get hold of ; something not stated, hut left to tiie imagination ; something uncertain. Turner's productions were marvellous in regard to this latter quality. And the Dutch master Rembrandt effected this strangeness by the wonderful way lie painted shadows. Another thing to be considered was whether one would like to live with a picture; whether it was noisy or sublime. Works of art were riot .to be judged by their truth to Nature but by their aim and by the emotions they aroused.

HOW DRAWINGS ARE AIADE. Referring to the way drawings were made the lecturer stated that they could be done by pencil (silver point, which made beautiful, delicate drawings), rough chalk, the point of a brush, in fact anything. Each instrument of execution had its own value. It would be wrong technically to make a silver point drawing with a lump of charcoal. Mr Low then referred to the water colours, stating that this form of art had an interesting history, and that since the days ot Turner had become an art in itself. At the conclusion of his address Air Al. Cohen, on behalf of the members, tendered the speaker a hearty vote of thanks, and referred to various forms of art, stating how fortunate he had been to see the best works of the masters in the art galleries of the world.