ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1096, 3 March 1893, Page 12

ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS.

LOAN EXHIBITION OF PICTURES. ... The ceremony of opening the loan exhibi. Mon of piotures, instituted under the auspices of the New Zealand Aoadetny of Fine Arts, In their new building in Whitmore street, was performed by His Excellency the Governor on Saturday afternoon. There was a fair attendance, and amongst those present We noticed Mr C. E. Barraud (president of the aoademy), the Hon R. J. Seddon (Minister for Public Works), the Hon Dr Grace, M.L.C , Messrs J. R. Blair (ohairrnan of the Education Board), E. W. Mills, D. T. Staart, &o. The Vice-Regal party were welcomed by tho President, and conducted to a dais at the far end of the bnilding, on which they took their seats, Tho President then stepped forward, and requested Hii Excellency to declare the exhibition open. In tho course of his remarks be explained that the building in which they were met was only partly completed, and then went on to say that, knowing that there ware in the oity a great many pictures of value, and whioh would be interesting to the public, they had appealed to their friends for the loan of them, and had not bsoo disappointed, as could be seon by a glance at the wal's. Referring again to the building, he Bald the aoademy hoped as soon as funds permitted to have it completed according to the original designs. They had received numerous donations, but were still in wants of funds, being indebted to some extent on the building, but they hoped by various means, of which tho exhibition was one, to wipe it off very shortly. It was very much to be regretted that there was snob a prohibitive tariff upon works of art in this Colony. A great many people in Wellington had beautiful pictures at Home, which would be an art education if imported into New Zealand, whioh,-however, were praotically kept out by the excessive duty laid upon them at the present time. He hoped that sooner or later the Liberal Government would see their way to making such concessions to tho art loving public as would meet the ease. He thanked His Excellency and Lady Glasgow, the guests of the academy, for their presence on that ocoasion, and he would ask His Fxoellency to declare the exhibition open. (Applause ) His Exoellency, who was warmly reoeived, said it gave Lady Glasgow' and himself much . pleasuro to be present for the purpose of opening their art gallery. Me thought they were to bo congratulated on their possession of such a building, well lighted 1 as it was, in which to show off to advantage 1 the pictu-es and the objects of art whioh might be ou view in it, They all knew very well that there was nothing more interesting than to see works of art whioh had been ; produced in times past, and by artists of the i present day, and it was such an exhibition ( as that which they saw before them on the j present occasion. He thought loan exhibitions of pictures were particularly interesting. Ab they were aware, in the Old Country every year in London for years past I most interesting loan exhibitions of piotures ] bad been held ; one year the exhibition i would be devoted solely to piotures of i the reiga of Queen Anne, another year f to piotures of George I. or George IV., thus f showing to tho public the progress of English f art from age to age. Those were always £ exhibitions of great interest. Of course J they oould not expeot to have suoh exhibitions in a young country like New Zealand, | but as time west on, with suoh encourage* J; ment given to them as Mr Barraud had " suggested the Government might give to 8 them, they might hope to see a large 1 collection of valuable pictures and a finer r exhibition than they oould at present I reasonably hope for. As they were aware, f the building in whioh they were met had been erected for several reasons, Tljp aoademy had ereoted it not only for annual . exhibitions and sales of work, but to pro- 1 mote the onltivation of art by the purchase c of recognised works of art, Ho need not 1 say muoh on that subject at present; it would no doubt oall for a great deal of attention in the future, and it was an objeot ] which he could confidently reoommend to j the kind consideration and encouragement c of those who cared for art in New Zsalaod. r . As to the exhibition, ho presumed that like ' himself nearly all those present had only ' lately entered the room, and had not yet 5 been able to form an opinion as to its merits. c Mr Barraud, however, informed him that < he was very well pleased with the oollec- e tioD, and he trusted they woald all find s pleasure and interest in the selection of £ works of art which had boen provided. ] Before closing his remarks he would like to £ Bay a few words upon some rather £ peculiar works of art whioh were done on kauri wood by means of a new j method, as he understood; they were extremely interesting and well worth iuspeo- ] tion. He believed it was an entirely new Invention, and their produotbn reflsoted E great credit on the gentleman by whom ' they had been executed. That gentleman ( had lately been living at Wangauui, and he j (His Excellency) wished him every success [ in bis now art, Without detaining thorn £ any longer he had much pleasure in deolar- , ing the exhibition open, and at the same j time wishing the New Zealand Acadomy - every success. (Applause.) THE HALL, The external appearance of the unpre- 1 tending sma 1 hull, brightening with a red briok spot the spaoe between the Supreme Court and the Loan and Mercantile Company’s building, is too well known by this time to require any description. Moreover, i there is no front to describe, for tho front, very hindtom9 on piper, waits until the ( financial fates are more propitious. At present they have proved propitious enough only for about three quarters of tho complete ; design. The academy is in great hopes that before long It will be in a position to carry the building up to the street lino, on which the handsome front is to bo built. It ie a hopo in whioh wc cordially join, In the ;

meantime the little hail bohind the tempo rary front Is ample fot all purposes. Iti inside measurement is 57ft by 26ft, with i - wall height of 17ft. The roof above is plaiD, and the light all comes from above, from two lines of skylights, one on each side oi the ridge, which ia 32ft from the ground. A oaliro curtain hanging for about Bft below the ridge improves the light greatly. The walls are set off by a cornice of arabesque • decorative work. The upper half of eaoh is ■ panelled by pilasters, at the foot of eaoh of o whioh is a pediment supporting an antique 3 bust; the lower half being oovered by a dark 3 wooden dado with ail necessary arrangements 3 for hanging pictures. On this portion the 3 loan pictures are arranged for the most part, while some ten of larger size being accom'- ■ modated above break tho lines of the \ panelling. Tho loan pioturea oocupy three ' eitles, the end wall being given up to the Art Onion collection. At. that end tho.'o is a dais green carpeted, for masic, a piano at one end of it proclaiming its purpose with i undeniable emphasis. There are plaster casts of the Modici Venus and the Oiscobulus one on each side, statuettes of the Venus of Milo, and Michael Angelo’s Greek Slave above tho Art Union collection ; be. tween them hangs a cast of the noble mask of the ‘Moses above them and above the oornice, the gable is filled by casts from the Parthenon Friezes. Add a light brass rail running roun<K the walls under the pictures —the gift of Mr Seagar, engineer of Wel-lington--and observe that the floor ,js stained dark, and you have a tolerably complete idea of tho hall. The busts are of the Juno, of St George, the Venus of Milo, the Diomede, a Dante, Julius Camr, Acbelles (with a marvellous helmet), and the * Clytie.’ At tho side of the hall and opening into it is an office, which did duty as a tea room on Saturday afternoon, and uncommonly well the ladies who attended to that department took care that this duty was done. The picture hanging power of the walla is estimated to be up to 400 pictures, provided that the local artists do not suddenly de* velop an affection for colossal canvasses.