BRITISH ART

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21782, 23 April 1934, Page 11

BRITISH ART

PICTURES FOR EXHIBITION NOT COMMERCIAL VENTURE DENIAL OF RUMOURS [by TELEGRAPH —OWN" correspondent] CHRISTCHURCH, Sunday A denial of a suggestion that the exhibition of British art to be held in Christchurch shortly through the agency of the Empire Art Loan Collection Society was anything in the nature of a commercial venture was made yesterday by Mr. C. R. Chismaiu organising director of the society, at a luncheon given in his honour by the New Zealand Society of Artists. Mr. Chisman was asked if there was any truth in the rumour that some of the pictures the society was bringing to New Zealand had already fallen by the way —that some had been bought by persons outside New Zealand who took delivery beforo the collection reached the Dominion.

Mr. Chisman said the society had arranged the collection nearly a year ago and since then there had been two postponements. In each case the owners of the pictures had been told their property would not be required foj; some time and on the second occasion several had informed the society that their pictures had been lent elsewhere and that they were not now available for the Dominion exhibitions. In these few cases the society had borrowed other pictures equally representative and suitable.

it was not true to say that any of the pictures had been bought on the way to New Zealand. The collection had remained sealed on the voyage and was still sealed as far as he knew. ,lt was possible, added Mr. Chisman, that those who had circulated rumours about the collection had seen the original list of pictures before any had been withdrawn by their owners

Professor J. Shelley deplored the suggestion that there were such rumours. He expressed the gratitude of the New Zealand Society of Artists to Mr. P R. Sargood, a former president of the Duiiedin Art .Gallery Society, who was largely responsible foj the formation of tho Empire Art Loans Collection Society. Great advantage were to be derived from bringing good pictures to the Dominion. Mr. Sargood said he had had a great fight in arranging for the exhibition and it had been made possible only by the help of Mr. Chisman and Mr, J. B. Manson, of the Tate Gallery and chairman of the Art Loan Collections Society. Opposition, which he could not understand, had made his work difficult. He hoped that this would be only the beginning and that many more pictures and other works of art would bo brought to New Zealand in future.