JAPANESE PRINTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21911, 21 September 1934, Page 13

JAPANESE PRINTS

OPENING OF EXHIBITION NEED OF NEW ART GALLERY A tribute to the public spirit of Captain G. Humphreys-Da vies in making available his outstanding collection of Japanese colour-prints was paid by the Mayor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, at the official opening of the exhibition in the Auckland Art Gallery yesterday afternoon. He said Captain HumphreysDavies had 011 several occasions in the past arranged other exhibitions of beautiful things from his collections, and he anticipated that the present display would be one of the most successful yet held. Japanese art had an international importance and its influence was particularly noticeable in commercial art, which was now of a higher standard than ever before. Referring to the recent renovation of the gallery and the rehanging of the pictures, Mr. Hutchison said the new method of display made a true appreciation of the pictures much easier, but there were fewer pictures 011 the walls than before, and there were as many in store as on exhibition. "It is a matter of great regret to me that 1 have not been able to briny; about the construction of a new art gallery during my term as Mayor," Mr. Hutchison added. "Such a work will be necessary not only from the point of view of the gallery, but also because the library is greatly in reed of more space. L am hoping that the time is not far off when, with the co-opera-tion of the university, we shall be able to go on with the suggested erection of a tine arts building on the old Grammar School site in Wellesley Street." Captain Humphreys-Davies, in reply, commented 011 the excellent work accomplished by the city librarian, Mr. John Barr, in bis rearrangement of the gallery. "After a very considerable examination of art galleries abroad, 1 feel safe in saying that Aucklanders can have n pride in their nailery," he added. "There have been many line purchases which were formerly lost in the mass, but now are shown to full effect." A large number of visitors attended the exhibition during the afternoon.