SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2181, 19 December 1895, Page 54

SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN.

* The annual exhibition of woik doDe daring the year by the students at the Dunedin School of Art and Design, .which i 3 carried on under the direction of the Education Board, in the Normal School building, was opened on Friday, ' &nd affords abundant proof that good use has been made by the pupils of their time and opportunity. As is usually the case, the dimensions of the premises prevent anything like a compete exhibition of the year's work being made, but the studies with which the walls and all other available space in the rooms are crowded may he assumed to be fairly representative of the results that have been achieved, and an inspection of them suggests that a distinct advance in art is being made in this city ; at all events, the works exhibited at this school this year compare more than favourably with these exhibited in previous years. The best feature of the show undoubtedly is the display of charcoal drawings from the life. Several studies from the partially-nude Ggure, Ihese being executed by Miss N. Huttou and Mr John Kilgour, and being what are known as " four-hour studies," will commend themselves to anyone who is competent to ' express ' an opinion as being really Admirable examples. Then there is an exceptionally good collection on view of drawings of heads from the living Dgures. Special attention may be directed to the studies by Mrs Ross, Misses E Napier Bell, E. Adams, H. D. Matheson, M. M'Leod, A. Watson, C. Elee, and E. Gillies, and by the Btudent whose identity is -hidden under the < letter " W." The paintings frem the life are almost exelusjvti) the work of Miss HuttoD, and the principal exhibitors of landscape paint- . ing are Misses Shelmerdine and Emery, whose vroik, though evidently it consists of " copies," U very creditable. The majority of the painfc- , ings in the exhibition are, however, studies from etUl life, and Mrs Malcolm Ross, Miss Mackerns, and Miss Cannon seem to be the most successful exponents of this branch of the ichool's work. Of drawing from the cast good B T>mr^f>B aje shown by Miss N- Hutton. Miaa

E. Napier Bell, and Mies M. Ewing, whose work is all neat and clear ; RDd Eoroe capital Madeline scroll work bears the ntm&s of Misses B. Bridger and C. Klee. A monc chrome from the cast, representing one of tLe panels of tho Ghib^rti Gate, by Mrs Payne, d«servea favourable notice. Of fchadid drawings, from the uaodtl unquestionably the best is executed by Miss Napier Bell, and among Eome very good drawings from the cast in ornament the work of Mi s ses Watson and Shelmerdine claims particular attention. Messrs D. Robertson, O. T re chore', and A. Wateou are responsible for capital examples in the drawing from the antique sccbion. Messrs W. Marshall, T. Cole, and J. King are theincst EucceES r ul draughtsmen in tho branch devoted to drawings relating to building construction, and Messrs H. Edwards, G. Armstrong, and J. Shearer show what are perhaps tbe best specimens of mechanical drawings. The Otago Art

Society's silver medal for the best life study has this year been gained by Mr John Kilgour. There were nine candidates for a prize offered by the artists' colourmen for the best design for a decorative panel in oils or water colour, the competitors beicg permitted to choosothoir own subjects and also to decide for themselves the size if the panels they used. One of the competitors was dis qualified for disregard of a condition that all tho work should be done in the school, and the prize was gained by Miss Blundell, who chose for her subject a study of a blue gum bough. By the lonic Mr J. O. Hay ward, of Featherfltou, shipped to London his stallion Derringer, by Muskeb— Rosalie. At a postage-stamp sale in London the other day a block of four 2d post paid Mauritiffe sold for £210, two Id ditto realising £28 10s.