OBITUARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXII, Issue 259, 2 November 1888, Page 2

OBITUARY.

JOHN GULLY. Yesterday inomiDg New Zealand sustained a eevera loss in the death of one who has for some years oooupiod tbe premier position among tbe landicapo painters of the oolony. It is long since an Art Exhibition of any importance was held at whioh the artist of whom Neleon was bo prond was, unrepresented, bnt now ths palette has been laid aside, and ths brush bas fall-en from the Sogers wbioh handled it with euoh marvellons skill, ond from one end of thi oolooy to the other deep rorrow jvill be felt ond exp*essed, not enly by his brother artist", but by the ho.t of friends he had made, when the telegraph wir*s and tha press announoe that John Gully ia no more. Onr lost friend for suoh we foal proud to Oill bim, was born in Bath rt 1819, aid in boyhood was apprenticed 'ita large iron foundry where -he taste for drawing which he had ' always displayed as a ohild cause! him to ba removed from tbe workshop to the designing -md draughting department. Bu f . he did not follow up the line of life ho bad at first selectei, nni when tho term of IU apprenticeship had expired he accepted an engagement as clerk in the Ba h Savings Bank, and a little la.ter joined hid fiit'-.er iv t:Ufiineß3 in Bond Street. In 1851 he, ■ being then a min-ied man, decided to emigra'e to New Zralnnd, for which colony he tailed in tbe barque John Phillips, aTivin^ at Taianoki where he had made vi. hia mind to settle JHJ iviug puroha c ed land he commenced farming but, like o great many more amUeurp, he found that the unaccu-tomed ocoupation drained ra'her than replenished hip purse, and he therofore decided to give i r . U[», oud started in business in the town of New Plymouth. Towards tho end of the •' fifties " the disturbances with tho Maoris assumed a serious form, and tho Volunteers had to be oalled oat for the protection of the etttlomeaf. Of these Mr Gully was ooe, an.i he saw a good deal of active service, but toe rough work and constant exposure told upon him, and he was invalided aud obtained the necessary permission to leava the distriot, and togethor with a good many others ho and hie. family oame over to Nelson io August, i860.' He soon obtained an engagement ss drawing zms'.er at the College, and he began t> torn hia attei Son rer ou?ly to pointicg, to which he devoted all hi* spare bour», and then it wa3 that he for the first time sold one of his pictures, the purchaser being Mr Lewthwaite, then the landlord of the Wakatu Hotel, and the price the magnificent sum of one guinea. In the course of a year or two JMr Gully was appointed draughtsman in the Survey Office, a position which he held until about ten yeara ago when ha partially retired, being desirous of paying more attention to his work a> an artist. He, however, continued to act, until three years ago, as consulting draughtsman. Of late yeara he has produced a considerable number of remarkably -fine paintings, one of which, owing principally to the energy and determination of the Bishop of NeJson, the public of Nelson are fortunate endugh to possess. It represents a scene on the western side of Blind Bay, and is now hung in the Museum. In pursuit of the occupation to whioh he had devoted himself, he travelled over the greater part of the South Island, revelling in the grand soenory of the lakes and glaciers, and on one occasion, by invitation of Sir James Fergusson, the then Governor, he made a trip to the West Coaßj Sounds io H.M.S, Bl^nohe, where he made a number of eketobea from whioh he subsequently developed .some of the grandest of his piotures. Ho also visited Australia, and made a number of sketches iv Victoria, whioh, however, he never amplified, a-i the style of scenery was not a'- all in accordance with bia taste. He loved the rugged mountains and magnificent fiords of New Zea'and far better than the flat, acd to his eje unjateretting Boent-i^ provided by the country through which he chitfly travelled in Anß rolia. Daring the last ten years he haß exhibited a largo number of his be3t paintings at various Exhibitions, including the Indian axd Colonial io London, aud for thete he has received numerous meda'a, oeriifioateß, and honourable mentions. Say nl of his works found purchasers in London, aud it wis only by the 1- st m§,il fhat news \yas receive! that all he Lad sent J;o the "Co'inJerifß " hd t.een cold. It moj perhaps be interesting to mention that Mr Gaily was entiroly self fought, Wih th.. exception of one or two from a I-nt'g.a'jO pointer of some little no'-e in Bria'oi tauatd Muller, be never had a 1 enov. So muoh—aud we are fait- fully consoiou'i i that wo have ntterly failed to do jua ise to I ihe subject — for h;s caiver #s an ariist. Aa a man he endeared himself to cv ryoue who had the privilege of being at all intimately acquainted with bim. A kindlier heart never b?at ia hutnnn breast. Ho wns full of sympathy, nnd could and did enter most warmly into both the sowmws and j ys of all around him. He was a most genial companion, whb a large fund of dry humor, and Wbs always a welcome guo^t at either the masters nouee or the shepherd's hut wben he was on his rambles in search of themes for hiß tenctl snd brush. Ho was a great lover of flbwer?, t»k!ug s ]t een interest in the cultivation of roses especially, and J was always a valued and hard working member of the Horticultural Society. He was passionately fond of musio, and was at tho lime of his death en» of tie oldest members of the Harmonic Society, in wbioh ho took a deep interest, and of which he for a long series of ytars was Vio-i-Preßi-dent. He enjoyed good health until atout ttu months ago, when he became subject to continuous bleeding at the nose, This was the commencement of the break up, which has goae steadily on ever since. For the last four months he has been confined to his bed, being a great sufferer from a most painful malady, which ended fatally yesterday shortly before noon, when he quietly breathed his last. He leaves a widow and two sons and a daughter to mourn their loss, and if it is any comfort to them they raay |««1 well assured that they hare the heal tf eit

sympathies of many who, knowing how < great is their own loss from whom only a friend has been taken, are able to some extent to appreoiate how deep must be the sorrow of those who have lost so warm hearted and affectionate a husband and father. I