ART GALLERY ADDITION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16408, 9 December 1916, Page 7

ART GALLERY ADDITION

COMPLETION OF NEW WING,

RE-GROUPING OF PICTURES.

OPENING CEREMONY.

Ikar by year Auckland's collection of art, treasures -rows, and in order to provide additional space the building of a new wing was commenced about two - ears The work w its completed some months since at a cost of £XOOO, and th= oflicial opening will be performed next Tuesday afternoon by the Mayor, .Mr. .J. H. (..un=on. Other speakers will be Mr. J. H. Upton, chairman of the McKe!\'» Trustees, and Mr. I'. M. Mackay, .'unman of the Library Committee ot the City Council. An invitation is extended to the public to be present. The new w: ig opens from the Mi - Kelvie Gallery, .nth a broad, shallow, flight of steps, and a fine effect has beta obtained by the hanging of the striking picture, " Greek Horsemen," by Frank Calderou, R.A., immediately opposite the main entrance to the ga.!erv. The new room » 100 ft by 53ft, l*-ing divided by projecting double lonic columns into three sections. Hie interior design is handsome, and the pictures show up. well against the subdued grey-green tinting of the waiU. A new method of lighting has been adopted the light being admitted through sidewindows and diffused by a curved glass ceiling. The whole building is thoroughly fireproof, and is modelled on the design of one of the rooms 1- tiie .National Gallery of New South 'Vp-.les. The. completion of the new v '/as enabled a rearrangement of the ; es i.i the Art Gallery to be made, with the result thai, all have benefited greatly by the increased wall-space. The McJvelvie collection of pictures fills the Mc.Kcivie Gallery and also the new wing, the large oil paintings being grouped together m the room at one side of the entrance, and the water-colours and small oil paintings in the other. The rest of the McKelvie collection, bric-a-brac and furniture, lias been accommodated in the old council chamber and in another room facing Kitchener Street. A rearrangement of the pity Council pictures has been effected, another improvement being the .removal of glass from all pictures marred by the reflection. The section devoted to British and foreign art has also been rearranged, the water-colour and oil paintings nowbeing separately grouped. « In addition to the new wing" another room has been added to the gallery, in which is exhibited the Russell collection of statuary recently acquired from the museum trustees. The various alterations and additions add greatly to the appearance of the whole gallery, and all pictures now show to far greater advantage than hitherto.