THE PUBLIC ART GALLERY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10240, 24 December 1894, Page 3

THE PUBLIC ART GALLERY.

The trustees of the Public Art Gallery still continue to receive contributions to this popular and rapidly-increasing collection. Mr Coull has given a few very nice views of Italian and Swi3s places of note, selected from his art purchases made during a recent tpar in Europe. Mr T. S. Graham has also presented a fine mezzotint reproduction of Rivebarn's portrait of the " Wizard of the North" (Sir Walter Scott) —a valuable contribution. The latest contribution is one by Mr George Fenwick, who has presented to the gallery reproductions of two celebrated mural paintings, the originals of which are now mono of the galleries of ths Vatican at Home. One of these is the well-known " Aldobrandini Blumsge." The original painting was discovered in 1606, near the Arch of Gallienus, aud is named after its first possessor—Cardinal Aldobrandini. It ig one of the few pictures by artists of the Koman era which have come down to modern times,' It is thus described in the standard work on "The History of Painting," written by Professors Woltmann and Woermann :—'J This is a long picture, containing 10 figures, composed like a. relief, indeed almost like a freize, before a very simple background. The groups naturally fall into three. In the middle the veiled bride is seated upon the nuptial ooush, with her head modestly beat down. A woman, half drcpod aud garianded, sita beside her ; a third holds ointment and a bowl in readiness. The bridegroom, also garlanded, and with the upper part of aix body bare, waits on s, threshold at the head of the couch—no doubt the threshold of the nuptial chamber. In the further ro.pm, on the left of the spectator, are women preparing the bath: and in the aute-room on the right, three more performing a sacrifice with songs and lute playing." The tcustees desire it ta be knowu that they will always be glad to receive contributions of old and interesting etchings, prints, aud engravings, the artistic value of which is not so generally appreciated as it might be, and they think that the collection of works of this kind in the gallery will greutly assist in making it more widely attractive, especially to those who are acquainted with the history of this branch of art.