THE BAILLIE PICTURES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12745, 24 April 1912, Page 2

THE BAILLIE PICTURES.

A PRIVATE VIEW

By the courtesy of Mr Baillie I was permitted to have a private view of the British pictures that are to; be shown here and in Other New Zealand cities within tils' :cout!fee^-of the nexti few months (telegraphs a Wellington, correspondent). Mr Baillie who is an ex.Wellington man, is himself an artist. Some years ago "lie left Wellington for London, and after studying for some tinic he opened galleries in Bond street, where some notable exhibitions have been held. Indeed, the Baillie GalJery is now quite a. London institution 1 . Mr Baillie . is not a picture dealer; he is an artist's agent, and as such he is in touch with the foremost painters of the day, and i& able to get for his gallery pictur-es that miuiy a dealer would have few opportunities of acquiring. He has certainly got together for New Zealand a very fine collection, the likes of which hus only 'V-een ■ excelled on the occasion of the Dunedin, and South Seas Exhibition and the recent International Exhibition in -Christchurch. The pictures are nob yet lining; 'indeed, there are several cases not yet unpacked. -Bht even "from a cursory inspection one can see that- the exhibition is going to furnish a rare treat for lovers of art -in -the Dominion. To begin with, .-orie notices a remarkably- fine* ? Branwyn, "The' Card Players," • painted with all the force and mastery of broad treatment, for which this artist is noted. In- bringing his high lights to -a focus in the foreground the" painter has, in this case) adopted somewhat daring tactics. There is a charming figure,; study, 'in water-color' by Alfred' Hay ward;' "brie 'of the younger artiste of the present day! who has already made his niark, aind who, by the way, is engaged to be married to a daughter of Judge Kettle. There is a fine example of David "Farquhatson's work, an evening effect, with ' trees ; arid figures and a splash" of v water, all effectively treated; /iripre-' than -oho i: iine' canvas by Robert .W..' Allan, president of the Royal>Society of Painters,' in Water Colors*;'" sothe exquisite figure painting^ by You nge -Hunter ; a large landscape by Priestman, done in the broad, style, aiid a magnificept large picture, "Spring in Ayrshire," frorii the brush of George Houston. This "is one of the finest pictures in the collection*, being reniatkAJb'le for breadth of treatment, color, 'atsA'osphere, and' distance. The poetic Sims \is represented by a small watercolor, "Death 1 of "'Winter]" and Melton Fisher by a charming painting, "Rosemakers, East End of London," "in which' the. beautiful drawing and' the wealth' of soft warrii' cblor are' striking characteristics. Alfred East ; is ' 'Represented bv "a large and elective canvas. 'Reginald Fampton, James Paterson, Hugh Stanton, and W. Lee Hankey are aniong| othei t: 'names Of many-well-ljftiown artists whosis -Whotk- one' .notices in- -a cursory glance round the gallery ; and, 'finally,; there area .few .small; but fpaintings " bv Neiferri' and Harpignesi one in the "Corot style aiid as v fine a' .painting as the. Corot. for which the Melbourne Gallery paid £5000. though, of course, it -is not -a Corot altogether: JyoVers of art* will have a rare treat 'in viewing the BaillieV collection, and "Ne^ Zealand will permanently benefit 'by tH4 acquisition of -some fine exaihples •of ai-t for its public galleries arid private collections. . ""'""