ART AND ARTISTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14809, 12 October 1911, Page 8

ART AND ARTISTS.

HOW TO PERFECT IDEALS, THE GOVERNORS VIEWS. Interesting views upon the need for th« j encouragement of art and the improvements of ideals were expressed by ■ His Excel- '■! lency the Governor (Lord Islington) at the - t-J opening of the exhibition of the New Zealand Academy of Find Arts in Wellington! V > His Excellency said he did not think toq|lJ much , encouragement could .be given thosa " New Zealanders who were studying in the older countries to remember their na- •. : tive hind and exhibit in the Dominion. No doubt art in New Zealand suffered. ; from the country's youth and its remoteness from the art centres. ) He was sura that in time these disabilities would be | substantially decreased. In the face of ' • I these disabilities, it was all the more imJ portant, that mi intrinsic appreciation of , -■> ■ art should grow, and a , great ambition I should be fostered. There was no one wfil| i sensitive to appreciation or depreciation as the artist. If good pictures were to V |be painted, and better ones in the days ' ; 'j | to come, he would venture to advise the*' people to become active and practical * patrons of art. It was by that' means - alone that the prominent artiste .would be _ induced to remain in New Zealand, "p Everyone would far prefer see an eini-ifi nent New Zealander exhibiting in his owi», country, and occasionally sending masterpieces to Europe, than to see him going V to Europe to live and work. In all age® - art had bgen dependent- to a great degree-fl| ou • the - art. patron. ' ; ■ Many, of the great pictures in Europe, J; the ; Governor - continued, would not b<? hanging on the walls ■ to-day if the great artists bad not. been supported by patrons.; ! In a country like this the patron of ar& could lend valuable assistance to the young i artist who 'was struggling'' in the ',earlyjp§ j days of his career by purchasing the works . • J he exhibited. There was another way iuP;s> I which the patron could come to art's as- J sLstance—by conferring his generous sup-: . | port in encouraging- the galleries in the' - chief centres. ' (Applause.) They could i § do it in their lifetime or put a generous clause in their will. Owing to geographical'! cal' conditions." there were in this com« '-if;.' J paratively small community of one million . | people four galleries: He had heard ift | aid that New 'Zealand should have on® ■, ; 1 national gallery. He was not going to ex*; 1 1 press an opinion on that. Ail lie could | say was that every encouragement should g be given to the existing galleries, and the ;- f I public should have as large a variety of 1 good pictures to, look at as it was possible | to get. Many of the advantages of th« g central gallery could be secured by inter* | change of pictures between the four ex«j|p| § isting galleries. That scheme had bee# Jr I carried out with great "success in old couii- | tries. He had seen a- large collection of■" English pictures <Jn view in French gal-* ". ', leries. ' ' - " , Regarding the large consignment of pic- ' tares which it- was proposed* to get frozttf^: the Old Country, for Wellington, His Ex* > cellencv said he was sure that the aim of U even,' true lover of art was that thert |||; should bo quality ;■ on their walls preferable to quantity, and, therefore, if in th«p|| years to come they could be assured !of af *•- ■ j fixed sum coming to their aid, it might wise to omit the purchasing of a picturfij-r } if, by waiting, a more /valuable work could >" 7 1 be 1 obtained for' a' higher price, spread : = 1 over a period of two or > three .'years; :"t Hi : merely threw that out as a guggestioa. • " ; i