OLD PAINTINGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23817, 19 November 1940, Page 9

OLD PAINTINGS

GIFT FROM LONDON THE AUCKLAND GALLERY A VALUABLE COLLEGTION Visitors to the Art Gallery T\-ill soon have an opportunity of seeing a very interesting collection of 12 fine oil paintings, mostly of the 37th and 18th centuries, which have been presented to the city by Dr. H. Wansev Bayly, of London. The pictures, which are of the English and Dutch schools, arrived from England some weeks ago, and have since been under expert treatment by Mr. E. Watson, of the gallery staff. Cleaning and revarnishing have in most cases almost completely revived the freshness of th« original colours. Although all the paintings but one aro attributed to famous or well-known painters, Dr. Bayly makes only the modest claim that they belong to the periods and probably in some cases to the "schools" of the named artists. Portraits and Landscapes The following are the titles and attributions of the pictures:—"Hea.d of a Man," Sir Anthony Vandvck 1599-1641; "A Soundhead Soldier," Robert Walker, died about 16o8; "Sir Michael Stewart, Bart.," Sir Peter Lely, 1617-80; "King Charles 1.," painter unknown; "Lady and Child," George Bomney, 1734-1802; "Dr. Simmons." John Hoppner, 1708-1810, "Pigs." George Morland, 1763-1804 "Landscape, with Haarlem Church m Distance," Jakob van Ruvsdael, 1628-82; "Landscape," Meindert Hobbejna, 1635-1709; "A Mill and Stream." John Constable, 1776-1837; "The Wood-gatherers, Thomas Barker, of Bath, 1767-1847; "A Norfolk Broad." James Stark, 1794-1859. The portrait attributed to Vandvck is regarded as a very line work. Jt represents a bearded man in a black doublet with a plain lawn collar. A piece of paper pasted on the back of the wooden stretcher bears tlw signature, "Vandvck," in faded ink. "Sir Michael Stewart" is obviously an aristocrat of the later Stuart period, and his portrait is within an oval, the shape favoured by the Court painter Lely. Links with Britain The lady and child ascribed to Romnev are very unequally painted. The former is portrayed with great technical skill, but the child appears to have been painted by a different and inferior hand. On the back of the portrait of Dr. Simmons is a very laudatory inscription reading: "A most beautiful portrait of F. Simmons, Physician to King George ITT., painted by the inimitable artist, John Hoppner. in his grandest and most noble style." The landscapes are al of great interest, particularly since cleaning enables the painters' technique to be studied in detail. The nervous brushwork of the canvas ascribed to Constable is highly individual. The donor, Dr. Bayly, was associated with New Zealand troops on the Western Front in the last war, and lately visited the Dominion twice as a ship's surgeon, making many friends in Auckland In his letter offering the pictures he remarked: "There cannot be too many links between Britons her© and in New Zealand "