EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 34

EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS.

SOME MOST INTERESTING WORK.

Lovers of art have an opportunity this week of inspecting in the water-colour room of the Art Gallery a highly interesting exhibition of pictures by two visiting 1 English artists—Miss E. Baldwin Warn aond Miss Durrant. Misses \\ arn and Durrant hav« both studied under Sir Hubert Herkomer, and at Paris undor such masters as Simon and Menard. Miss Durrant is a recent arrival in New Zealand, but Miss Warn has been in this country long enough to execute some important portrait commissions. Between them the artists exhibit close upon 100 pictures in oil and water-colour, with a preponderance! of the former, and there is no lack of diversity in the subjects treated, these being- drawn from a wide field. Altogether this collection will be found one of unusual merit and interest, and, if alone on account of the portraits shown, should not be missed.

The numerous landscapes on view include many charming English, Dutch, Italian, Scottish, and New Zealand viewts, but first attention is demanded by Miss Warn's portrait studies. These .are not very numerous, but they unciuestionably represent her most effective work. The pictures of Mr Justice Donniston and MiMartin Chapman, K.C., must strike the observer as line examples of portraiture. In each the pose of the figure is easy and unconstrained, and the expression of the features happy and natural. Erom a technical standpoint the work stands close criticism and is strong and conscientious. There is a life and personality about these portraits which is uneommonlv releasing-, they are cAispicuous for their faithfulness moreover, and the skill displayed by the artist in delineating to the life the well-known features of Mr Justice Denniston, who is represented in his judicial robes, is striking. Miss Warn's full-length portrait of Miss Hilda Chapman is another arresting picture, the strong points of which are again faithfulness as regards likeness and naturalness. Tne drapery is skilfully painted, and a harmonious colour scheme admirably emphasises the- marked Saxon type of the sitter. In No. 13 Miss Warn exhibits a portrait study of a girl's head which is exceedingly pleasing' in its simplicity and harmony of deep colouring; and in No. 18, by the same artist, is seen the profile portrait of a gentleman, the handling of which exhibits most excellent taste. An interesting picture of Dr Hay, of Wellington, is also _on view. Among Miss Warn's large pictmes other than portraits none is more likely to attract attention than that entitled " The Student of Philosophy." The eye. rests with pleasure on the warm interior scene depicted .and the graceful figure of the student in pretty frock in the foreground —one suspects she is not a very serious student, —and admires the philosopher's taste in furniture. Among Miss Warn's landscapes the critical observer will speedily single out No. 15 (" Glenartney, Perthshire") as one of her happiest efforts and a picture full of atmosphere, and No. 12, " The Braes of Baiquidder," hung on the line at the Academy, a scene full of rustic charm, in which a red-roofed watermill is a most effective central object. The same artist also shows a number of Italian landscapes which are evidence of a conscientious observation of Florentine architecture, and her water-colour portrait studies are excellent. No. 32, which depicts the gar-den scene of the quarrel of two little boys, must on no account be overlooked, for its detail is particularly admirable, while in "Springtime" the difficult subject of an orchard in bloom has been treated with distinct success. Last, but far from least, come Miss Warn's paintings in miniature, and one is not sure, on seeing these, that it is not in such delicate portrait work that the artist most commends herself. Miss Warn's miniatures are certainly beautiful examples of art in a form that will be always attractive; and one quite understands why most of them have been in the Salon or the Academy or both. Miss Durrant, while she does not exhibit the striking portraits which are a. feature of Miss Warn's work, shows also a marked degree of versatility in her work; though evincing a particular partiality for landscape. Miss Durrant goes in for portraiture as well, how T ever, and interesting exhibits in this department are No. 92 (the portrait of a clergyman) and No. 58. entitled "Check," the quiet strength or the features of the ehess-player in the latter contributing to a decidedly effective picture. In rustic scenes the artist is particularly happy, and No. 3, entitled "Robbers," is quite one of her_ most attractive pictures, charming alike in subject and treatment. Swans and blue river are the taking theme of No. 51, " The Blue Unclouded Weather"; and m No. 53, "Drying the Nets, Holland,". Miss Durrant shows a most pleasing picture to which the effective form and colour of Dutch fishing boats are boldly and effectively utilised. In a very interesting picture of different kind Miss Durrant depicts the last of the loom weavers at Arbroath intent on his work, and has achieved very natural results in .a difficult subject. The old loom-weaver in question, it is interesting to know, takes a genuine pride in the fact that he has become "quite a novelty." Miss Durrant shows also some effective little Scottish landscapes, and in No. 80, "Evening on the Plains," exhibits a little New > Zealand landscape charming in its simplicity and tone. In No. 67 will be seen one of Miss Dun-ant's larger landscapes, and tfe subject reveals the fine artistic possibilities of duck-pond and rustic _ farm buildings from the painter's standpoint. Here again the artist has been very successful in her colouring. Miss Durrant, like Miss Warn, also exhibits a number of studies of Italian scenes, and has been happy in her choice of Dutch subjects. Of the work of both artists one is the more _ disposed to speak in high terms because it is all characterised by what is essentially genuine as contrasted with what is merely pretentious in art. The pictures are for sale, excepting-, of course, the portraits done on commission, which have been lent.