MR. J. E. MOULTRAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

MR. J. E. MOULTRAY.

Mr J. Elder Moultray, youngest son of J. Douglas Moultray, was born and educated at Edinburgh, where his childhood having been spent in the studios of his father and that gentleman's confreres, he was literally nurtured in ar atmosphere of art; so that it was only very natural that the desire to follow in his father's footsteps should grow vith him, with the result that he was placed, on leaving school, for four years under the superintendence of an accomplished draughtsman, whosp Parisian system of confining his pupil to the pencil and black and white work proved he was a most suitable instructor, colour being at that period very properly a forbidden subject. Similar training was carried out in the evenings at the Edinburgh School of Arts. His father then continued his son's art education in his own studio, where the subject of our sketch made his first essay in colour, choosing water colours to begin with, but soon discarding them for oils, in which medium he afterwards copied many works of the old masters in the National Gallery. His later tiaining embraced a course of study of the work of the leading masters in the Belgian, French, and Italian galleries. The fruits of these studies appeared in a series of articles specially written for our columns, which we published in 1897. After his arrival in New Zealand he chose for his special branch the delineation Df the more stirring incidents af colonial history, and for tbe purpose of gathering materials for his life-work, he made a tour of the battle-fields af the North Island, visiting and sketching the various historic spots, and interviewing those nrbo bad taken a persona] part n the various encounters — both Natives and Europeans. And that he might gain a knowledge of the bearing of men >n the actual battle-field, he, on the outbreak of the late war, accompanied the First Contingent to South Africa, as correspondent for this journal, the Dtago Daily Times, the Christchurch Press, Wellington Post, Mid Auckland Herald, in which publications his sketches and letters from the front appeared, until he was prostrated wit"ever, which occurred within six months of his landing at Capexywn, having in the interval been attached to General French's Bolnmn. The authorities, having warned him upon his rejovery, that a second attack in his then enfeebled condition would prove fatal, he was reluctantly compelled to abandon irhat he considered his golden opportunity. As Mr Moultray has made sketching tours through no

sent our readers with five examples of his method of treating landscape — viz., " The Clinton Valley," giving a comprehensive view of the country through which the track from Lake To Anau to the Sutherland Falls passes ere it breasts the rugged ascent of M'Kinnon's Pass. " Mount Pillans from the Arthur River," serves to convey an excellent idea of the wild scenery lying between the famous falls and Milford Sound. The sketches for these twe pictures were made shortly after the discovery of the Sutherland Falls. The artist was landed at the head of Lake Te Anau with a tent and 20 days' provisions, and was picked up again three weeks later, having in the in-

less than 16 different countries and colonies, we think it j will be conceded that he has missed no opportunity of study- | ing Nature under nearly all her varying moods, and now j tLat he has decided to make his home with us, and given , practical evidence of his intention by building a suitable studio, we may look forward with interest to seeing the earlier incidents of the colony's history transferred permanently r j) canvas, ere the principal actors are gathered to their fathers. He has set himself a worthy task, and we wish linn every success in carrying it out. In our Christmas Annual for 1898 we reproduced plates from 11 of his historical works. With this issue we pre-

i tei val sketched nearly every point of interest among the I mountains across to Milford Sound. Our third view, " Makarora," shows one of the beauty spots at the far end of Lake Wanaka. " Ploughing at Dunback," is a genre subject that will appeal to every farmer, t!">e original sketch having been made upon the ground amidst the furrows. Our last picture is a study of the incoming tide on the Southern Coast. In conclusion it may be necessary to say that an oil painting always loses a great deal when reproduced by the half-tone process, all the more delicate gradations of colour that form the finest quality in a work of art invariably disappearing during the process