FURTHER PRESENTS TO AUCK LAND FROM MB. MACKELVIE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6813, 18 September 1883, Page 5

FURTHER PRESENTS TO AUCK LAND FROM MB. MACKELVIE.

At the metting of the Auckland Institute yesterday evening, the Bishop of Auckland read the following interesting letter addressed to him as President of the Institute by Mr. Maekclvie:—

21, Victoria-street, S.W., London. August 8, 1883. My Lord Bishop,—Please accept my best thanks for your very kind letter of the 19th of June, giving me a copy of the resolution passed by the membern of the Auckland Institute, thanking me en their own behalf and that of the citizens, for the few pictures and other thin?s I hare sent you, and lam much pleased to learn from such an authority as yourself that such gifts are appreciated. Before the winter sets in here, f hope to send you a case containing, probably, five pictures, one of which will, I feel sure, afford you and others great pleasure—it is namod " The Dawn of the First Easter Sunday," by Edward Annitai;e, K.A. This picture I purchased at the Wyfoid Court Gallery (Hermon, M.P., deceased) sale, and, ns the artist and his family consider it the best picture be ever painted, they wanted me to give it up to thtm, and offered me £300 for my bargain —that is. over tJie sum I paid—but I declined, and explained I had bought it for Auckland, and it would be sent there. He informed me he had the copyright, and would like to get it engraved, and, as it was going out ol the country, would I let him get it copied, and finally, I agreed to do so—the copy to bo made by a pupil, not by himself; that has been done, and when the pictmo was returned, it was accompanied by another, which was exhibited in tno Academy last year, and is called "Sea Urchins," which he asked me to accept from him, and be hoped I would consider it good enough to send out with the other to Auckland. The others are " A View of Brighton from the Pier," and two smill pictures—about the size of your "Herrinr"—both full of small fijnres, ono being the North (indeed all over Italy, but this is specially a Northe n Italian scene) Italian game of Morra, referred to by Wilkinson as a game played by the Egyptians, and sculptured on some of the an'ient monuments; and tho other is a "South Italiin Interior." I may say I have many things intended to" be shown in cases, such as carved jade, carved rock crystal, ditto ivory, and a considerable number of enamels, seme of Limcges; indeed, one of the Limoges is so fine that, having been lent on exhibition to South Kensington they asked permission to mako n copy of it, which was done by one Williamson, an artist in oils, and that copy is now shown with the other originals in South Kensington Museum. It came into my hands through the death of .the owner. But these choice sm ill things must remain with mo until you build your new Art Gallery, and I hope you will use your influence to secure a good site, say, part of Government House grounds, or the old Barrack yard ; und that they will take care to have a fine large buildinir, even though it may not be completed for some years to come, as I believe with you that others will be incited by example to come forward and assist to develope that taste for art which has been seen in Auckland during the last few years.—l remain, my Lord Bishop, yours very truly, J. T. Mackelvie.

Armitage is one of the highest names amongst Knglish painteru. The above letter indicates the value of the principal picture, as well as the others, in this new Hat of munificent contributions 1 to the new Art Ga'lery of Auckland. We draw the attention of the Mayor and city authorities to the pointed allusion made by "the liberal donor of so many fine works of art, to the necessity for v suitable depository for them.