A TRAVELLER AND AN ARTIST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12782, 1 October 1903, Page 5

A TRAVELLER AND AN ARTIST

AN INTERVIEW. (Faou Ora Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, September 29.' 3Mt Alexander Scott, a noted traveller and an artist, Who lias been sojourning in Now Zealand for the last six or seven months, is at present in Wellington, and intends in a few days to exliihit here an unusually interesting collodion of paintings and sketches. Mr Scott has achieved a considerable reputation as a painter of Indian, Himalayan, and Cashmere scenery, and has in matters of art been "before the footlights " for a considerable number of years. Amongst the purchasers of his pictures may be noted her late Majesty Queen Victoria, Princess Louise, the Archduke Ferdinand of Austrfa, the Donna Infanta of Spain, Eail Spenser, Earl Roberts, tho Ear! of Ripon, the Marohioness of Ely, Lord Randolph Churchill, Lord Northcote, Lady Dufferin, the Nizani of Hyderabad, t'he Caekmar of Baroda, Sir lan- Hamilton, and the most of the other titled peoplo and art connoisseurs. As far back as 1886 Mr Scott was recognised as one of the foremost of our landscape painters, for Tho Times of tho 6th of November in that year, referring to the Indo-Colonial Exhibition, mentions £hat the masterpieces of that collection were without doubt Mr Scott's two great piotures showing viows of the Himalayas from Darjeoliog. Mr Scott was good enough ito accord mo an interview and a private view of his pictures. Ho has, it appears, been " prospecting" New Zealand with a 'view to holding an exliibition in London in a. year or two from now. At a previous exhibition at the Pino Arts Society in London over 60 of bis pictures were sold, and for the pictures mentioned in Tho Times' notice lie reoeived £500 each. Through Chevalier, Goldsmith, and Gully New Zealand 'has handed down to posterity somo_ very excellent pictures of her famous alpine scenery, but as one who has studied the varying phases of mountain scenery for half a lifetime I make bold to say that until Mr Scott's arrival wo have had none in this colony who has done such faithful and artistic work. A large pioture of Mount Sefton may be takenas a typical example' of his work. In this the stern rocks and icy crags and the softly rounded snow slopes are wonderfully presented, and tho mountain lives before us again. The gradations, from the zenith to the horizon oral the iridescence of tho colour carried oven intc tho foreground appeal particularly to the artistic mountaineer who ia familiar with suoh scenes. There is splendid "atmosphere" in these and similar works. Though there is absolute accuracy of form and every detail is faithfully noted, there is yet the charm of poetical feeling always present. Mr Scott, unlike many artists who are careless in their drawing, does.not see why poetic feeling and accuracy should not synchronise. Piotures of Auckland scenery. view 3 of tho Great Barrier, Mount Cook, Wostland, and the Te Anau-Milford track will bo prominent in the exhibition, and will be of particular interest to Now Zealanders. Ono sketch Mr Scott showed me. is probably the only water-colour picture ever painted in Thibet. Mr Scott was over the Pass into Thibot little more than a year ago. Recout cablegrams about Thibet and its forbidden territory give added interest to the picture, with its wild hillsides and' rock peaks. The problem of Thibet is one that is at tho present moment exercising the attention of the Indian and of the British Governments. Tho Thibetans have unlimited liberty to trado with us, yet wo debarred from entering their territory. Wo are not even allowed to cross the frontier. Tho difficulty in this respect is, M. Scott thinks, probably the main reason why Lord Curzon is staying on in India beyond tho term of his appointment. In regard to Lhassa, the capital, in tho attempt to reach which so many Europeans have been baffled, Mr Scott states that there is 110 real'organised soldiory there, and ho believes a good British football team could almost get through to the mystic city if thoy set their hearts on it. The question, however, has to bo dealt with diplomatically. At the present _ moment Lord Curzon his an expedition over the frontier. The Russians also have their eyes on Lhassa. During the morning I spent in Mr Scott s studio I was shown many curiosities that were mementoes of travel in Eastern lands, but notably, a wonderful carving in ivory, a representation. of the apotheosis of Buddha. This actually came from a temple in Lhassa, and was sold to Mr Scott at Darjeeling by a mendicant Lhama from Thibet. As a carving, it is a most marvellous piece of work. It is undoubtedly vory old, and it is most interesting to trace •through the many sccnes in the life of Buddha so striking a resemblance, to similar scenes in the life' of Christ* One very curious exhibit on tho wails of the exhibition will bo an engraving and some letterpress from the Illustrated London News of June 21, 1845. Tho depicts tho great seal of Now Zealand and tho portrait of a young Maori chief. The letterpress commences: " Tho, important debate in Parliament during the past .week on the affairs of this ill-fated has suggested tho two annexed illustrations, immediately associated with its colonisation." Evidently in those days there no Chamberlain, with an Imperial policy;' and the politician of that year never dreamt of a prosperous colony, with telegraphs and railways and steamships and a publio debt of over 50 millions. It is interesting to note that tho great seal of' the 'colony was made by Mr Wyon, who was seal cugravov to her Majesty, and the greatest professional heraldist of tho reign. Tho side of tho seal depicted shows Queen Victoria in treaty with a group of New Zealand chiefs. Tho portrait is that of Peric, described "as tlio son of a New Zealand chief, who bas recently'arrived in London to bo instruotod iu the English language and otherwise educated. The young Maori is stated to be very intelligent and quick at learning. When it is considerod that only two or three years ago ho was in habits and ideas nearly" on a level with cannibals, his ideas of a first oause," continues the'article, "appear to be cloudy, though lie acknowledges his belief in the existence of one great Creator of the universe. In disposition lie is mild and traotable, and even inclined to politeness. Though mild in his manner, his feelings are soon worked up when he is questioned on subjects of his native warfare. His eyes then sparkle, and tho fire of revenge appears to kindle within him." So far I havo, not had . time to trace the subsequent history of "Porie." I 'wonder if he was ono of the old Maori chiefs who welcomed tho King's son at Rotonia a couple of years ago? The point, however, about these ongravinga is that they were by Mr Scott's father, tho celebrated Thomas Scott, who, during a long career, has dono the portraits of many of the most famous men of the century for the Illustrated London Nows. Mr Thomas Scott, at tlie age of 75, is still doing good work, and side by side with this old engraving Mr Alex. Soott now proudly exhibits some exquisite work in monochrome from his father's brush. Pictures of a Shan of Burnish, ft half-witted Lhama of Thibet, and a Bhutea from the frontier at Bhutan, are splendid examples of character drawing by an artist who lias been busy with brush and pencil for over half a century. Mr Scott's own work is varied in character and style. He seems equally at homo in a summer garden of roses or on the screes of tho Upper Himalayas, far beyond tho confines of civilisation. By way of relaxation lie lias devoted much timo to studies of tho varied and strange types to be met with in the hill country of India—Lepchas, Nepalese, Thibetans, and others. A Bhutea smoking (in Lord Lonsdale's collection) and >a Thibetan coolie woman with her baby, ate said by critics to be file examples of 'his work in this direction. Some amusing talog are told of theeo olevor' studies. For instanco tho Bhutea smoking so appealed to the original that he made Mr Scott the offer of a month's wages and a turquoise earring for it. Lord Lonsdailo. however, was able to! outbid the Bhutea. Though the prices put on Mr Scott's paintings are higher than wo are accustomed to hero it is to bo hoped that some of Lis New Zealand works will find a permanent abiding-place in the public and .privato collections of tho colony.