THE AUCKLAND ART GALLERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9240, 18 December 1888, Page 5

THE AUCKLAND ART GALLERY.

In moving the adoption of the report at the last meeting of the Auckland Society of Arts, tho President (Mr. Mackechnie) suggested that the society should exert itself to raise annually the sum of £50 at least, to be expended in the purchase of a picture illustrative of New Zealand and its people ; and that the pictures so purchased, from time to time, should be presented to the Art Gallery towards forming a special collection of colonial art. In support of this suggestion, hesaid the subject selected might be either figureor landscapeor a combination of the two, and might be either in oil or water colour. In this way a special school of New Zealand Art might be formed—special. not only in the subject selected, but also in tho treatment. He briefly referred to Government support and encouragement given to Art in the older countries of Europe, and in the neighbouring colo&res, but despaired of receiving any such a'd from the New Zealand Government for a; least some years to come, owing to the financial position of the colony. He therefore urged the society to make a determined effort to add to its funds, and believed the public, knowing the purpose to which the money must be applied, would render any such efforts successful. In this way, he added, a great impetus would be given to Art here, and our artists inspirited to exert themselves to the utmost to obtain so honourable a distinction. We learn that Mrs. Browning, widow of the late Mr. Samuel Browning, has sent to Mr. J. L. Holland, secretary of the Society of Arts, tho sum of £20, " towards the fund for purchasing a picture, or pictures, by a New Zealand artist, descriptive of New Zealand life and scenery." There can be no doubt of the importance of the object stated by Mr. Mackechnie; and we hope that some of our citizens will follow the example of Mrs. Browning. The purchase of two or three such pictures every year for preservation in the Art Gallery, would be an encouragement to New Zealand artists, and would in a few years make a most important collection of pictures illustrative of New Zealand scenery, and exhibiting the history and progress of art.