FURTHER PRESENTS TO AUCKLAND FROM MR. MACKELVIE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6830, 8 October 1883, Page 12 (Supplement)

FURTHER PRESENTS TO AUCKLAND FROM MR. MACKELVIE.

At the meeting of the Auckland Institute on 17th September, the Bishop of Auckland Tead the following interesting letter addressed to him as President of the Institute by Mr. .Mackelvie:— 21, Victoria-street, S.W., London, August 8, 1883. My .Lord Bishop,—Please accspt my best thanks for yoar very kind letter of the 19th of June, giving ,too a copy of the resolution passed by the mombera of the Auckland Institute, thanking me on their own behalf and that of the citizens, for tho lew pictures >aad other things I have sent you, and lam much pleased to learn from such an authority as yourself that such gilts are appreciated. Before the winter sets in here, 1 hope to seud you * case containing, xobably, five pictures, one of which will, I feel tmre, afford you and others great pleasure—it is named "The Dawn of the First Kaater Sunday," by Edward Jlrmitege, B.A. This picture 1 purchased at the Wyfold Court Gallery (Uermon, M. £*~ deceased) sale, -and, aa the artist and his family consider it the best picture he ever painted, they wanted mo to give it up to these, and offered me £300 for my bargain —that is, over tha sum I paid—but 1 declined, and explained 1 .bad bought it'for Auckland, and it would be sent .there. He informed me he had the copyright, and irqold like to get it engraved, and, as it was going out of the country* would I let him get it copied, and finally, I Agreed to do so—the copy to be made by a V pupil, not. by himself; that has been done, and when the picture was returned, it was accompanied by another, which was exhibited in the Academy last jeftr, and is called "Sea Urchins/' which he asked .me to accept from him, and ie - hoj>ed J would consider it gool enough to send out with the o.iber to Auckland. The others are " A View of Brighton from tlie Pier," and two small pictures—about the size of your •'.Herring "—both full of small figure?, one being the Xorth (indeed .all over lialy, but this is specially £ Northein 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 iiave many tlilugu intended to be shown'in cases, such aa curved jade, carved rock crystal, ditto ivory, and a considerable number of ■enamels, seme of. Limoges; indeed, one of the lamogefilsso flno that,, having been lent on exbibilion to South Kensington thry asked permission to make a copy of it, which was done by one \ViJliam- • oon, an artist in oils, and that copy is now shown with the.o.tfierpriginalsin South Kensington Museum. It came into my hands through the death of the owner. But these choice snuil tbiugs must remain with me until you build your nsw Art Gallery, and ( I hope you will use your influence to secure a good site, ?ay, part of Government House grounds, or the old Barrack yard ; and that they will take care to I . have a fine large building, even though it may not be 1 completed for some years to come, as I believe with -you that others wili 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.—X remain, my Lord Bishop, yours vary truly, / J. T. Mackelvik, , Armitage] is one of the Highest names amongst' itngliflb painters. Tho above letter

indicates the value o£ the principal picture, < as well as the others, in this new list of munificent contributions to the new Art Gallery 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 worko of art, to the necessity for a suitable! depository for them.