NELSON ART EXHIBITION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXI, Issue 79, 4 April 1887, Page 2

NELSON ART EXHIBITION.

The question, should Nelson have an Art collection, has several times been mooted, aiid although there have been croakers who have said -* Can any good come out of Naz _- rebb," yet the project ib one whi<-<h will evidently take hold sooner or later. The Colonial Exhibition in England saw some very creditable specimens of art wbich emanated from New Zealand, and some of the best were acknowledged to be those which came from Nelson from local artists. This being, so ib would be strange if efforts were nob made to bave somethiug permanent in our midst, aud, as some of our readers will remember, a commission was given to Mr Gully to paint a large work, to be the foundation of an Art Gallery. The picture was painted, and gave general satisfaction to those able to see it before it went to England. The promoters were not able to complets the payment of their commission at once, and it is therefore desirable to conclude it as speedily as possible, Mr Gully having v^ry kindly and considerately not allowed the delay to occasion any difficulty on his part. It is now for the first time exhibited in Nelson, and it will doubtlfßS afford much satisfaction that this will be one of the first Art treasures of the place, and a permanent memorial of the work of one who will long be remembered as an artist and a citizen. More will doubt--Ips3 be said of this picture in future criticisms, but this much may be said now, that | it is worthy both of the artist and also of the scenery of Tusmau's Bay, though some i may desire another specimen which shall pourtny both the golden atmosphere of Nelson and the untnistakflnble abilities of tbe artist in aerial perspective, and perhaps their wishes will be gratified, for while this ia thy first, we by no means expect that it will he the 1.-is. treasure our future Art Gallery will poss ss from the same hand. Bub the object of the proposed Exhibition, which will take place in Easier week, is not merely the emphasising the merit of the works of one particular artist, but is rather of a twofold character. First to give pleasure, and secondly, instruction, by affording opportunities of seeing works of ar> , that they may be studied, ex-imined, and criticised. It is now some time since tho excellent collection of pictures owned by Capt Gama, chiefly from Scotch Ac.demical sources, and those brought by the lute Mr E. Buxton from the Copuinent of Europe, were exhibited in the Provincial Hall, arranged with the assistance of Mr R. Pownall, now of Wanganui. Those who saw that Exhibition regretted how very little notice was taken of it by what are called, rather erroneously, the working classes, who might be expected to seize the advantage of seeing such works when offered for their inspection atso trifling a cost and altogether freely by the possessors of them. The nexb exhibition of Mr Gully'B works was more generally patronised by our working men, and it is to b. hoped that this will be still more so. Those who indulge in the idea that it is the right thing to inn down the efforts of their own locality can ab all events have enough to look ab and enjoy, aud, ib may be, criticise, in what will be exhibited here. The great historical paint.r. Mr W. F. Yeames, a Royal Academican, was an exhibitor on the walls of the Academy in 1867, wh-sn it was domiciled under the shadow of what wore known aB Wilkins' "pepper pots," in Trafalgar Square, tho finest site in Europe — now the National Gallery. The picture he exhibited then was the first one since ho was admitted as an Associate of the Royal Academy. That ' picture is now iv Nelson, and will be exhibited by the Bishop, who is desirous that 1 ib should be shown throughout New Zea- i land as a work of art of the first class, such aa is seldom seen in the colony, for there are many applicants now for such pictures, a < sister picture of a cognate subject having ] gone to Canada. It is of considerable size, I

ird is a work of beautiful colour and out~ line. The title given the pioture by the wtisb is " The Dawn after Reformation,'' i tnd it represents the forerunner of the Reformation, Wycliffe, sending out his students svith the manuscript Scriptures in their , hands, in the English tongue, whioh unmisbakably led to the reformation of religion in England. However, we have nothing now to do with it except as a work of art, and it is as such sure to be well worth deep study, both on account of the reputation of the painter, and the ascertained character of the historical works exhibited by him in England. Nelson may well be congratulated on having such a picture in her midst, accessible to art students, and to the general public. This is, however, only one of the many art treasures which will decorate the walls of the Bishop's school. There will be several water colors, by Mr Barraud, of Wellington, and by his brother, now in -England. Another feature of the forthcoming Exhibition will be some large engravings, never before shown, and, besides that, there will be a small Royal screen, which will be of special interest at the present season. Dr. Fell, of Wellington, will contribute a series of most remarkable Sepia photogravures, by Messrs Goupil, of Paris (whose brother, now in Tahiti, accompanied the Bishop of Nelson to Tonga and Samoa, last summer), the subject being works in Terra Cotta, by a natural, self-made artist, prematurely removed, George Tinworth, which will be more fully detailed. To say that two soreens will be occupied by the Hon J, C, Riohmond is to mention that for which alone the Exhibition will be worth a visit. Both he and Mr Gully have consented to show some open air sketches ; these will have great value in the eyes of students, and oftentimes contain effects never reached in the perfected picture. Small as the collection will necessarily be, it will be the more select, and capable of being duly studied in the short time during which alone it can be opened. In conclusion, our advice is to go and go again, for only so can good pictures really grow upon the minds of those who look into them.