THE ART EXHIBITION.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 8425, 23 January 1896, Page 3

THE ART EXHIBITION.

NO. 11. In his address on opening the South Canterbury Art Society’s Exhibition, the Ven. Archdeacon Harper said that ‘‘ by frequenting such good company as they saw around them, they learned to distinguish good from bad, and that knowledge would have its effect when they came to adorn their own houses, where they wanted something that they could live with in comfort, soothing them with the sense of .beauty.” This is not the sole duty of the pictorial art, but undoubtedly it is its principal duty, so far as adornment of the home is concerned; and “something th&t they could live with in comfort ” is a very happy phrase indeed. It is not easy however to learn to distinguish good from bad, by merely frequenting picture galleries, even the best. One must have some rule, there must be some natural law, behind each judgment, upon each class of picture ; and some rule, some natural law, behind each judgment upon pictures in general. “ The artist’s standard is feeling, his end refined pleasure,” says one authority. But one must have some rules by which to judge, and the fundamental rule appears to be that sketched yesterday in treating of the picture “ The Mid-day meal.” A perfect picture must present its beauties at a single glance. This rule is well exemplified in No. 113, “ Sunset on the Tay,” a small work by Nisbet, R.A., which bears the stamp of the Academy. This painting should be seen by gaslight. By day it appears too dull for a sunset, but the yellow gaslight brings out a true sunset glow. This must be placed among the best if not the first, in the collection. No 115, Head of Italian Boy, also shows best, as hung, by gaslight; an excellent work. No. 116. a landscape by Robin, requires a good light, and is then seen to be a fine work, in a heavily bushed gully in steep hills, such as are common in the New Zealand foot hills and eastern Otago. It does not conform to the rule above mentioned, and is not therefore a work of the best class ; the eye roams over it as over a real landscape ; it contains several pictures of the “ restful ” kind. A specially good bit is a clay bank in the right foreground. No. 118, a bit of Yorkshire wolds, with a prevailing tint of redness, is said to be a faithful representation of that kind of country, but as a picture it is too photographically definite to the margins. No. 122, an early morning on the Waimakiriri, by Gibb, is one of the finest in the room. This also appears best by gaslight, when it has a glorious glow, and the shades are more pronounced than by daylight. No 122, a sea piece, is notable for the reflection of the red sunset sky from the water, perhaps hardly enough of it. In 126 Miss Obrien shows a clever picture of May Blossom, a little lacking in softness, perhaps. There are, by the way, a good many bits of flower painting, on panels, by local brushes, all of creditable excution. It would be impossible to indicate the best of them unless they were compared side by side. No. 112, a Bazaar at Cairo, is a small lifelike bit of work with clever sunlight and shade effects. No 131, a bit of West Goast Road, after rain, is a good piece of bush, with a well done splash of water O* the roadwayi No. 135, an old man toasting a herring, is well worth attention. No. 143, Highland Deer Forest, with heavy mist, is by many considered the most notable picture. It contains first rate work, but if one stands back to see the picture as a whole, very much of the fine detail is lost, and to approach it nearly, to observe the detail, the picture as a whole cannot be seen. No. 149, portrait of Bishop Grimes (Mr Greene) is an excellent piece of portraiture. Nos. 151 and 152 are not pictures but statuettes. One cannot but admire the skill with which the beggar’s multiple and ragged suits are executed, but the subjgqt is unpleasing. His companion, a

fruit seller with infant, is a more easy but more desirable thing. No. 157, Granny, should not be overlooked. No. 163, a Mountain Road,by Moultry senior, is one of the best things in the room. No. 171, a chromo of a cathedral interior is a remarkable print of a remarkable building. No. 181, a Flower Garden, must attract all eyes ; a small watercolour, exceedingly well done, a trifle too precise perhaps in the path margins. No. 182, Orange Girl, bears the Academy stamp, and deservedly. It is however, unfortunately hung for daylight, and in fairness should be shifted to the other end of the room. No. 186, On Sydney Harbour, cannot be passed by, for its foreground and group, and vessels, though the water does not reflect the sky. No. 187, is a curiosity, as it is catalogued as a Rembrant. Another curio is a small sheet of red crayon sketches of faces, No. 259, about 300 years old. No. 192, On the Dart, is notable for excellent treatment of the water, and the perspective of the wooded bank. No. 204, View in Rosshire, is a pro tty little water-colour, that should not be missed. No. 215, a bit on the Wanganui river, is good, though rather dark. No. 242, Up the Leith, is a nice little thing with fine detail. There are several family portraits on the north side which are well worth attention, and a number of excellent engravings. No. 211, Death of Nelson, is valuable as a record of details of the old-time men-of-war, and No. 231, Meeting of Wellington and Blucher, has a similar historic interest in connection with the army, with the additional utility of bringing out some of the horrible features of war. These are instructive panoramas and as a purely emotional picture No. 233, “ Floreat Etona,” may be contrasted with them ; from one of Lady Butler’s fine military pieces, a spirited a charge ” by two or three men. And among the monochromes, we cannot forbear mention of No. 227, a magnificent photograph of the Matherhorn.