AUCKLAND SOCIETY OF ARTS EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10428, 28 April 1897, Page 5

AUCKLAND SOCIETY OF ARTS EXHIBITION.

The Art Exhibition was well attended

yesterday afternoon, but dosed in the evening. It reopens to-day at half-past twelve and finally closes this evening at ten o'clock, There will be a promenade concert this evening, and as will be seen by advertisement elsewhere a number of well-known vocalists will take part in the programme. FINAL NOTICE-OILS AND WATER

COLOURS. Mr. R. Reid has several exhibits, oil and water colours. " Lake Te Anau'' has some very good bits of colouring, but the foreground is decidedly weak. Miss Clara Firtli contributes a picture, "Evening on the Waikato." A pretty little bit of river, and showing considerable ability. " East Window, Fnrncss Abbey," is an architectural study by Seddon Wildeblood, calling for no special remark.* Miss Joel, of Dunedin, shows three studies in oils. There are traces of clever work. The one we like best has already been noticed, The second is a study of a little girl in a devotional attitude, reciting the " Lord's Prayer." The study seems to require a little more attention in the forms. There is some Rood suggestive* work, but it will scarcely bear analysis. A study of an " Old Colonist" is very much better, although possessing the same characteristics, but in this case the rugged type of face will bear this treatment much better. Miss Joel's desire apparently is to produco rich and harmonious colouring, Miss May Lingard exhibits several oils and water-colours, hitherto unnoticed. " My Model" is a clever study of a young girl, painted in a fine, bold style. In her Etude Miss Lingard shows herself rather a stranger to the medium, Nor is this lady _ quite so successful in landscape, as her picture, " Summer," indicates. There is a positive crudeness here.

Miss Mabel Hill's "Sunset" is a bit of creek, with dark trees, but not so good as her portrait work. Her "At Work" has not anything like the good qualities of her figure work. Both landscapes of this lady possess most of the vices and few of the good qualities of the school from which they emanate. " Cynthia" is a small water-colour portrait of a lady in black, relieved by a touch of purple and blue. "Old-fashioned Flowers," by Miss M. E. Richardson, is a study of hollyhocks in an old garden. "Mischief" is a portrait of a young lady wearing a very misohievous smile, good in drawing and bold in effect. " Dick" is a study of a black and white terrier dog, a clever study in a few strokes. Mr, F. M. Hodgkins has several exhibits. " Washing Day" is a fine picture, a little bit very well put in. The poultry are especially oleveriy suggested. " Buttercup" is a clever sketch of a little maid in a large straw hat, trimmed with buttercups. "Mary" is a water-color portrait study. The upper part of the face is out of drawing. " A Bold Southerly" is a bold picture by Geo. E. Butler. The waves are breaking among rooks, There is a strong sky. The picture gives a good idea of wave movement. _ Wellington Heads," by the same artist, is a good sketch, but the colour of the water seems scarcely to harmonise with the sky. Mr. J. M. Nairn contributes some good work, His " Work in the Fields" is a smart impression, but rather Sat, and wanting in greyness of atmosphere. "A Poor Man's Harvest, Taieri Plain," by Mr. Wm. Hodgkins, is a flat landscape, with harvest field in the foreground. Blight shows over the distant hills. The picture is painted broadly. "A Southland Sunset" is suggestive of a somewhat peculiar sunset, no doubt as the artist saw it. " A Bend of the Hollyford River, Martin Bay, West Coast, Otago," is a smart impression of a Southern river, fresh in treatment. Miss Maud Vaile is well represented by a number of oils, "On the Waikato" is a typical New Zealand river bit under a midday effect. This picture is, if anything, _ a trifle monotonous in colour, but otherwise a good example of this lady's work. " Moonlight on the Wangauui River,'' is a quiet stream with tree terns and native foliage on the bank. Miss Vaile has kept a pleasant tone throughout, but some of the foliage forms are hazy in drawing. "Evening in the Kapuni" possesses similar charactct istics to her larger work (No. 17) indefinite forms prevailing, and the water seems weak in perspective, still there is a poetio vein running through the picture that remedies some of the execution. " Moonlight, Thames," does not call for any special remark. The picture is carefully painted, and quite up to the same standard of this lady's other exhibits.

MISCELLANEOUS. Mr, Batts, wood carver, exhibits an ornamental frieze carved in wood, introducing hunter with dogs and game. The work shows considerable freedom and boldness of execution. Mr. Souffert furnishes a jewel cabinet of beautiful design, inlaid with a variety of New Zealand woods, He also shows other examples of his art which proves him to be an "artist in wood," Mrs. A. Hamilton White shows a plaque, a study of apple blossoms on a branch, which is a very creditable production. Mies Darby furnishes a small plaque of geranium leaves, a simple design of geranium leaves tastefully executed. A plaque is shown by Miss Keesing in cloisoune enamel, the design being flower with ribbon border. Thework is tasteful and chaste. Some excellent examples of this young lady's artistic taste in this branch of art were exhibited at last year'* exhibition. A panel of olematla and of wisteria is shown by Miss Fallwell. The clematis took first prize in competition in designs for decorative panel. Miss Woodward exhibits a frame of wisteria, and Miss Ethel M, Baker also exhibits a frame of wisteria, all carefully treated. Messrs. Fripp and Goldsborn show a number of architectural drawings of public buildings, also Messrs. Skinner, Grainger and d'Ebro, Slater, R. Maclcay Fripp and R. W. de Montalk. In the loan collection Dr. Finlay has several exhibits, namely, Beatrice Cenoi, by Angelica Hanffman, a female figure apparently bewailing the death of love, title and artist unknown, and a rural scene by Patrick Nasmith. There is also a landscape by Diston, an Australian artist. Miss E. M. Baker has an exhibit in wood carving, which is artistioally executed, and shows what can be done by ladies in this branch of art. It is a piano duet-stool in rimu, with carved top and ornamental design. A series of photographs is exhibited by Mr. Josiah Martin of tropical scenery, the result of hiß late tour to the Islands, illustrating Island life. Miss Silverlock furnishes a coloured and enlarged photograph (Sir George Grey), treated artistically. Miss R. L. Bull exhibits a copy in oil of a well-known picture (oil) of a familiar spot, "At the Jetty." The original is by a French artist, and it is fairly executed. A reproduction is given of one of Sir Frederick Leighton's engraved pictures, executed iu wash by Northam C. Carh.

An interesting exhibit is contributed by the New Zealand Herald, illustrating the various processes of the trade in wood engraving, electro-typing, stereotyping, halftone etching, copperplate engraving, and litho work on the stone, with proofs of the process. The Star shows a somewhat similar exhibit.