ART IN RETROSPECT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22504, 23 February 1935, Page 5

ART IN RETROSPECT

EARLIER DUNEDIN DAYS PAINT AND PERSONALITY a By A. H. O’Keeffe, Concerning art and artists 50 years ago in Dunedin, these recollections make no claim to be ordered or methodical. What an archaic age it seems now! . If we could have an exhibition of that old work I daresay it would not fit into our ideas of to-day. Even photography has changed. Everything must be extremely outspoken. Our modern art is the same—nothing hidden. Different the painting of 50 years ago, which we used to call the “Vandyke Brown” period. Everything was painted in brown and then touched up here and there with some grey, and a man with a red coat in the middle distance. When that great colourist, Signor Nerli appeared, sjid others who came later who opened our eyes to colour, there was an improvement. 1 remember walking along George street with James ’Nairn, who was out from Glasgow, We looked at a picture in a Window. I said, “What do you think of that?” “Penny plain and two pence coloured,” _ was his reply. Looking at another picture with a visiting artist I said, “Nice and soft! " “Rotten apple soft! ” was the rejoinder. Pictures are like an old house you have gfown up with. ■ You go away for a trip and when you come back you think, “ My word, I will have to get a new house. Pictures are the same. You get your eyes opened through seeing something really good, and then you take an interest, and in the end become an enthusiast, just as does the man who takes ■up growing flowers. Fifty years ago art in Dunedin was like the old house. The man of today must be able to paint a picture with • enough light and colour to be hung in a room papered with modern wallpaper. I have often wondered how it was that there were anything produced at that time considering the lack of opportunities for the artists. No such thing happened as Empire Joan collections. My own first experience in search of artistic guidance was to have a look at an oleograph, a form of coloured print which was made to look like an oil painting nicely varnished. I think the first artist I knew was Peter Power, whose son, a Dunedin boy, is now one of the leading Australian artists, a painter of dogs, horses, and wagoning scenes, which appear in the Royal Academy regularly. My first recollection, of his father was going to see a portrait of Mrs Scott Siddons (not the famous actress), who, I remember, formed in Dunedin a little time before. As I think of the picture now I would say it was from a photograph. I remember he told me that “Yoniton Red” #aa good for painting flesh. Being a novice, X searched the shops for Yoniton Red, only to find his Irish pronunciation had misled me. He meant “Venetian Red.” Ho did me a good turn, for I have not found anything better with the exception of light red, which is pf the same family. _ . t Power himself wa« a jolly old Irishman, or he seemed old' to me* then. ‘He painted'landscape, and had a fancy for those big black pine trees which were very prolific in the Woodhauah Valley and what we called Pine IJill. Why did man with the aid of fire and the axe destroy those pines? I daresay Power felt they were beyond his brush, but >we might still have, had the enjoyment of looking at them. If Power sold a picture, he gave a party. I remember going with a number of other brothers of the brush to visit the old man on Christmas morning. Such things do not happen now. Another Irishman was George O’Brien, who painted old Dunedin in a very careful way. He was a character, and a loveable one, I remember him coming to see me once when I was busy painting a crayfish and a glass of beer. He said: “I do not know anyone else who would tr.eat a glass of beer that way.” The favourite medium of those jovial painters was old Highland, which wa* the popular brand at that time. And then there was L. W. Wilson, a man who had a great influence over me, not only with my work, but also with my reading. I did not have lessons from him, but was very milch in hie company.

He said once, "You do not like my pictures.” As a matter of fact, they seemed too pretty. Apart from that, he painted pictures that pleased the public. One time he wag dbing some work for the Christchurch Art Society. He did one large. and eight small- pictures in black and white in one day, painting the small ones while the big one was drying. He sold the lot at the, exhibition. It was a joke amongst his pupils to ask what colours to use to paint so and so. The answer , was invariably, , “ Vermilion, yellow ochre, and blue.” He always said cigarette ash made good greys. Plenty of it went on to his palette. Wilson, Colin M'Kay, and Kirkwood painted a panorama of the destruction of the Pink and White Terraces (it was before the days of the movies) which was exhibited through New Zealand. Chrome yellow played a large part in the making of it, also a large stone jar, which had often to be filled. Wilton Svas a member of the family who owned the Wilson Line of steamers, sailing out of Hull. A number of old Dunedinites will remember about the famous baccarat scandal. It was in the of Sir Arthur Wilson that the episode took place. Whenever any of the. Wilson family died, “L. W” would get a legacy. He had rio idea of the value of money. One little lot of eleven thousand pounds he got through in two years.' He took a quick way of getting rid of it. He bought two racehorses. I remember one was called Danebury. . The sporting men will recall him. > The last lot of money Wilson got was eighteen hundred pounds. That put it into his head to h,ave a trip to England. On the eve of his departure he gave a dance to all his artist and musical friends and other kindred spirits. It was held in a small hall opposite Speight's brewery. He gave an order, to Godfrey Jacobs, of the Bull and Mouth Hotel, for the supper at a cost of twenty-five pounds —making a good start with the eighteen hundred. I remember I was called to make a speech—my first attempt—which I got through with the aid of Lochicl, the supper wine. Wilson got back from his trip in six months with about enough to pay his cab fare from the wharf. Cohn M‘Kay, already mentioned, did comic work, and the last I heard of him he was drawing for the Salvation Army paper in Melbourne, rather a change from the work he did in Dunedin. And there was Peter MTntyre, late of the Otago Daily Times, who used to draw full-length cartoons of the characters of the town, a number of which are in the Early Settlers’ Hall. Peter had a standing order for these from “ Bonanza ” Young, the tailor, who traded under the aforegoing name. About this time Tom Cousins appeared on the scene, a nephew of Samuel Cousins, the engraver, and the only engraver elected an R.A. in England. There is a specimen of his work in our Art Gallery. Cousins himself was second to Landseer in the Royal Academy scholarship. His art was a cut above the work done in Dunedin at the time. Ho had a varied experience. Among other things he illustrated Marcus Clark’s cofivict story,

“ For the Term of His Natural Life." The book came out in aerial form in a Melbourne paper. Clark was always behind time in writing the chapter for the week, and Cousins told us he was often wakened up in the middle of the night to do the drawing to be in time for publication.. Though Cousins at the time I met him was in a good financial position, worth about £20,000, thanks to a legacy from his uncle, it made no difference in him. He had had a hard time before, and was used to doing with a great deal less. He had a number of stories to tell every time you met him of what happened to him the day before. Mostly pure invention they were, but intensely humorous. I do not remember him ever laughing, but he could make us laugh. He was a big, burly man in build, like a policeman, slow in movement, but when painting he could get a move on. He seemed stern, but there was nothing of that about him, and many of the impecunious ones touched him for a pound. He bought a picture for £25 on one occasion, not because he liked it but because the artist was hard up. , He presented to the Otago Art Society the picture by 'Seymour Lucas, “ Before the Fight,” which now bangs in the Logan Park Gallery. He died regretted by all. We have no example of is work in the city collection, which ought to be remedied. About this time J. Douglas Moultray came to Dunedin. He had a number of admirers, and painted pictures with small sable brushes. His son, J. Elder, 1 followed in his father’s footsteps, painting the same kind of pictures, and also Maori war compositions. Later came , Albert Hanson, who was a short time in Dunedin, and the painter of one of the best water colours in our gallery, “Unmoored Galleons.”

A memorable figure was that of Nerli, rather tall, with black, pointed heard. He would borrow a fiver, or if he had one you could have it. I remember “Bon-

anza ” Young making him a suit of clothes. He then went to Wellington and wrote from there to a brother of the brush in Dunedin to tell Young that the clothes fitted him well, but he would never get paid for them. .The artist thought it would be a good joke to show Young the letter. Young thought it was the limit, and said he would summons Nerli. The friend thought it had gone far enough, and explained it was a joke. At the time of the first South Seas Exhibition Nerli came over from Sydney. I met him there. He was painting a gr«?at emu for a bay in the exhibition. He told me he was an artist. By the look of the emu it needed saying. However, he took me to see one of lus pictures hahging in the Sydney court, “A Bacchanalian Orgie,” and it made me change my opinion. He settled in Dunedin for a while, and painted many good pictures. He was a true artist in every sense. He had with him a portrait of Robert Louis Stevenson which he painted from the master in Samoa. Stevenson wrote this poem describing the operation:Did ever mortal man hear tell of sue singular a ferlle, As the coming to Apia here of the painter, • Mr Nerli f He cam; and Oh, for a hunner pound, of a’ he was the pearlie, The pearl of a' the painter folk was surely Mr Nerli. He took a thraw to paint mysel’, ho painted late and early: 0 wow; the monny a yawn I’ve yawned In the beard of Mr Nerli. Whiles I would sleep and whiles would wake, an' whiles was malr than surly, 1 wondered salr, as I sat there fornenst the eyes of Nerli, " 0 will he paint me the way I want aa bonny as a girlie. Or will he paint me an ugly tyke, and be

damned to Mr Nerli." But still and on and whichever It la he is a canty Kerlle. The Lord proteck the back and neck of honest Mr Nerli. Valllmn, Samoa. September,. 1802.

The picture itself 'Went begging for £8 in Dunedin, Afterwards it was bought by an art dealer and eventually sold to the Edinburgh Art Gallery for £250. Poor Nerli, he was alive at the time! Nerli himself was always good for any •fun that' came along without thought for the morrow. Mr W. M. Hodgkins, the president of the Otago Art Society for a period, was a man we all looked up to. He was ever willing with a word of kindly advice. He could not be taken in by the “ tripe that some produced. His'oryn work rang true, and he was ever keen, if he saw merit, to help a sale. He was the means of our purchase of Van der Veldcns pictures, “ The Otira Gorge” and “Old Jack.” The man who can select a good picture is an artist, though he be a layman. Another great worker for • our society was Dr Scott. He filled the. position of hon. secretary for a great number of years, was an excellent judge of a picture, and also painted good watercolours. , . , „ The first work I saw of the late Grace Joel, who made a European reputation, was a painting of some plums, which made me think she would do good work, She got the moisture into the fruit, which is often missed by a second rate artist. Among earlier local art enthusiasts was R. F. Smith, the founder of the firm of Smith and Smith. Ho was one of the first members of the Otago Art Society and exhibited at its first exhibition, which was held in the cast-room of the old School of Art. He painted many portraits, and though a dealer in art materials would not waste a canvas. “ Being a Scotchman ” he painted one portrait on top of another. His brother Harry, the singer, said every picture Robert painted would_ weigh a ton. There was notning unusual in what he did. His son Leslie went to France and stayed there. He studied at the Julian and was a constant exhibitor at the Paris Salon. He died in Morocco from the effects of war service; he was in the French army. Most people in Dunedin knew R. Hawcridge, called “ Bob ” by the fraternity. a man of biany parts. He had a good working knowledge of several languages. There was very little in the way of painting or drawing that could stick him. In a book or two i published in England the illustrations carried his signature. He was also a musician of no mean ability. His good; nature and happy smile made him friends without number. 1

Dave Low, the political cartoonist of world reiown, was a Dunedin-born boy. 4. story told by himself to Peter MTntyre ran thus: He applied at the Sydney Bulletin to get on the staff. The e( litor asked him what he could do. He replied, “Everything.’’ “Well,” said the editor, “I am going out for half an hour. There is a paper on that desk. Draw ‘ Mary had a liUle lamb.’ ” What he produced was a young couple in a restaurant. Needless to say, Mary had her lamb, and Low got a billet. An artist of whom we all ought to be proud is Miss Frances Hodgkins, who now takes her place among the best in England and is still holding it, doing work that is original, not a servile copy of Nature, but showing a mind of her own. She is undoubtedly the best artist we have produced, and, as far as I know, she has fought her own battle. Specimens of her work are to be seen at Logan Park. Mrs Field, her sister, wag another who showed the family talent, I can just remember one lyater-colour. It has stuck in my memory. One'of the older Art Society members was Mrs Woodhouae, who painted delicate toned water-colours which hang in many houses in Dunedin. Another was Dr Roberts, of the same period, whose watercolours were always to be seen at the annual exhibition. Prominent among the lady artists was Miss J. Wimperis, whose water-colours were well known, and were purchased for the different galleries, our own included. The family talent for art wag also displayed by her sister. Miss i) . Wimperis. Miss Park, who studied in Paris, was, I think, Dunedin-born. A picture by her which was purchased by the Otago Art Society now hangs air Logan Park Gallery. She painted a number of portraits in Dunedin, including one of Alexander Burt which hangs at the Technical College. Many will have personal recollections of Jim Scott, who died hot long since in London. He received notice of the acceptance of a picture by the Royal Academy a few hours before hie death. He had had others accepted at intervals, and also in the Pane Salon. It is likely we will have an exhibition of his works before long. Having had the privilege of seeing them, I am sure Dunedin will be proud of their eon. He was an artist of great ability. He served in the War. and afterwards did, a lot oi work at the Wembley Exhibition, and also war pictures for the Australian Govits episcopal associations, too in these earlier days. Bishop Nevill was among its practitioners as . well as its patrons. I remember his painting a, selfportrait which, I understand is-now in St Paul’s Cathedral. The'tall figure of George E. Butler was familiar enough in Dunedin thirty or more years ago. He left this country to settle m England, where he made good, becoming an exhibitor at the Academy. He was a most conscientious worker. He painted more than one mayoral portrait while in-tins citv A good example of his. work hangs in the local gallery, and he did a number of war pictures for the New Zealand Government. Another name that occurs to me is Irvine, the portrait painter K.d.a., who died in Dunedin about 45 years ago. He lived a long time in Dunedin and painted many portraits of the early educationists. You will find examples at the University; He lived over eighty years. Another name that comes to mind is that of G. F. Fodor, who will be remembered by the sporting men as the painter of Cup winners. Sometimes he tried his hand at battle pieces. Again there was John Charles Veitch, lately deceased, who painted Venetian scenes; an artist he was at heart and always a dreamer. Another of the old brigade is J. D. Perrett, who is still going strong and visits us occasionally with a collection of his work. Frank Brpokesmith died at Invercargill fairly recently. We had a small art club in those old days of winch Brookcsmith was the secretary, or, a s he was dubbed, the clerk. He kept t the minutes, which I think the Daily Times would hardly care to publish. # Another club I remember was started in a room lent to us by M'Gregor Wright, and most of those mentioned in this article attended. The club collaps'ed through a strange cause. A skating rink opened, the first in the town. The whole community went skating mad, including the Art Club members.