AUCKLAND SOCIETY OF ARTS EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10416, 14 April 1897, Page 5

AUCKLAND SOCIETY OF ARTS EXHIBITION.

TONIGHT'S CONVERSAZIONE. This evening the exhibition of the Auckland Society of Arts will be opened by a conversazione of members and friends at 7.30 in the Choral Hall. Mr. E. W. Payton (president of the Society) will make a few introductory remarks, and Burke's string orchestra will render some choice selections during the evening, Hunter's Band will perform on other evenings, and other local orchestras have promised their help during the season. Tho Hunting Committal) were busy ycatorday in carrying out their mission, and have completed their work in the main building. Today they will finish the hanging of the Southern collection in tho southern annexe, whioh number iu all about thirty canvasses. Among the Southern artists represented are Mr. W. M. Hodgkins (the president of the Otago Society of Arts), Mr. J. M. Nairn, and Misses Hill, Lingtird, and Richardson, (of Wellington), Mr. Gibb (the well-known Christchurali artist), Miss Hodgkins (of Duncdin), and others. The pictures sent up by Miss Joel, ot Dnnedin, have not yut been found or traced. Telegrams from Dunedin state that they were addressed to Mr. Leech, picture framor, Shortland-street. Yot it is stated thov do not appear ou the manifest of the steamer on which it is alleged they were shipped. To Miss Joel it is especially annoying, as she will lose her ohance of exhibiting unless they turn up, and have had her trip of 1400 miles fruitlessly. This youug lady showed eome good figure work last year, and lias also exhibited at the Sydney Art Exhibition during tho past year. The local artists like their Southern brethren, make a creditable display, and there are several new exhibitors. Sonlpture is better represented than usual, and this is a feature which should be encouraged. Messrs. Harrison (Mangere) and Parkinson (Viotoria-slreot) contribute in this section. One of the first things that will strike the visitor to this year's exhibition will be the general chango in the colour scheme of the decorations and walls, instead of a ratlitr crude unsuitable red, which has been in existence on the Society's wooden panels, for soveral years there is a quiet restful greygreen distemper colour, which forms a really excellent laokground te both gold frames and the white mounts of the water colour*. The draperies also havo been changed to match, and tho whole effect is much pleasanter than we remember to have seen on any other occasion. Instead of the erratic old fountain,we now nee a neatwoll designed fountain whose spray when forced to a height of ten feet or more, falls in such soft misty spray, ae to be almost inaudible. Of the pictures, the oils, of course, form the largest class, but the water colour section is quite as large as we have ever seen it. Then there are black and white studies and sketches, architectural drawings in large numbers, wood carvings, speoimens of wood and copper engraving, statuary designs, photographs both coloured and plain, and numerous other sections 2,art work. The chief interest, however, undoubtedly centres in the oil and water colour paintings, of which there is probably the best collection of contemporary and Mew Zealand art that has ever been gathered together in Auckland. The oil pictures run large , this year, much larger than usual, but we cau say without hesitation that the quality is not only well kept up, but also distinctly improved. Probably the weeding put of many works of doubtful merit during the last year or two has had the effect of bestirring the exhibitors into renewed zeal and activity, forcing them to do their best in order to gain a place 00 the walls. AH our best local artist* ate represented on the walls, and with the exception perhaps of one or two, are happier in their work than we have ever seen' them. The Mackolvle Trustees may take a large grain of comfort > from the fact th»t more thin one of the

exhibitors has most undoubtedly paid homage to the much-despised Idyll by Alexander Roche, by a atnrtliupr chanse of style. Hitherto, perhaps, the geueral error in local work has been iu its too conspicuous blackness, but in several iustances this year the error almost seems to be iu the other and opposite quarter. We are extremely glad to see this growiug attention that is being paid to water-colour work and the display in that medium, although smaller than in oil, may almost bo said to challenge it in interest and beauty. Probably the steady increase of value in the water-colour works is more conspicuous this year than in oil, although as we have said the quality of last year is more than maintained in both. The pictures catalogued and numbered are—water colours 45 and oils 134. The whole collection has been insured for £2500.