ART AND ARTISTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2203, 21 May 1896, Page 47

ART AND ARTISTS.

• . • It is a custom of the Royal Aoademy for every artist, npon his eleotion to fall membership, to present a piotare painted by himself, in acknowledgment of the honour paid him.

•• • Mr Burnand has tried many new draughtsmen of late for Panoh, bat their appearances have been fitful. He has now made a real find.in Mr W. F. Thomas. Mr Thomas contributed a clever half-page of Bkits on leap year. He was represented by a " rauzssling " pioture, in whioh ha contrived to get an abundance of fun ont of a policeman, an inspector, and a dog.

• . • There is not a day of Sir Edward Burne- Jones's life in whioh this distinguished artist does not make some small picture in peaoil as a study. There are some drawings of his, done in silverpoint, of which the perfection of accuracy and precision of touch is mosfc striking and exquisite. His pioturei are never painted in a hurry. They often bang for years on tbe walls of his studio, looked at, thought over, but never touohed unleiS he feels drawn towards working at them; but his art is bis life ; be lives in and through his picture*. The only pioturo that be complained of weariness in doing was one called "The Golden Stairs," and this bad to be finished for exhibition. He said, " I am so tired of those girls."

• . ■ A handsome, alert, bright-eyed man, more like a soldier«4ban an artist— snoh is your first impression of "Spy," the famong oarloaturist of Vanity Fair, says the Minute. Yet Mr Leslie Ward is an artist to his finger tips. He was born and brad among artists. His father was E. M. Ward, the B. A. ; his mother has one of the most successful art schools for ladies in London. At 16 he had a bunt in the academy, and though he studied avohiteotate under Sydney Smirse and Barry, his> taste for portraiture overmastered him and deteiraiued his life. Sir John (then Mr) Millais bbw a drawing be had dons (quits ac a youngster) of Profosior Owen, and declared that he ought to fihowlb to Mr Gibson Bowles, who bad then jnsfe started Vanity Fair, He did so, and was immediately engaged upon that paper. That was 23 years ago, and ho does 40 caricatures for thorn every year.

* . •" I don r e know vrbich I like best, riding or painting, "said Miss Turner, ill the coarse of an interesting chat that a representative of the Gentlewoman had with this lady, who is beginning to be known as one of the olevereat of boras 'portrait painters. Miss Turner's affection for horse* contributes enormously to her success ia depicting them, and on being asked if she had experienced any diffloulties in getting her " sitters " to pose, she said, " No ; they know instantly that I love them. Horses always seem to do exactly what I want ; in fact, they 6eem almost to enter into the spirit of the thing." It wa« the Duke of Westminster who nrged her to devote her energies to art, and she began to work regularly at Calderon's Art Studios in St. John's Wood. At the etabies of Mr-Bardett-Goutts at Brookfield, Higbgste, Miss Turner has been very busy indeed. Mr Burdett-Ooutts says that be feels that Miss Tamer, now that Sam Garter is dead, is the best painter of a horse in aotion that he kuovrs of.

* . a There is only one living man who 0 has painted a member of the canine epeoioa for her Majesty tbe Queen, and that man. is Mr Latham Barnes. A Success interviewer had a pleasant chat with him. Mr Latham Barces, who has just turned 30, tells of tbe Queen's favourite dog. "He is a ,sable Pomeranian, Windsor Marco by name. I painted him at Windsor Castle, going up and down from town for about eight days, I think. Rankin, who ie now her Majesty's bead attendant,' used to hold him for me, the sittings lasting for four hours a day, two hours before lunch and two hours after. When I had finished with the dog, and before bringing the picture away to put the last touches upon it, I was requested to take it to the Queen. Her Ma j 2sty was io the red drawing room, and with ber were the Empress Frederick and Princess Beatrice. I couldn't tell you exactly what her Majesty said, I was in such a flutter ; bat she made gome general remarks, and suggested some alterations that showed she appreciated Marco's points. I wa» again introduced to the Queen s presence on finally taking the painting to Windsor, and I remember being highly , pleased on hearing her Majesty, after a" survey of the picture, make the observation, " It's very good."