AUSTRALIAN ETCHINGS

Southland Times, Issue 20692, 14 January 1929, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN ETCHINGS

ART MISSION TO'NEW ZEALAND. ERNEST FINLAY’S VISIT TO INVERCARGILL. Connoisseurs of Art in Invercargill will find much to satisfy their sense of the aesthetic in the, excellent collection of etchings, dry-points and aquatints which Mr Ernest Finlay, 8.A., the official representative of the Australian Painter-Etchers' Society, has brought with him on a visit he is paying here. Mr Finlay, in conversation with a Times reporter, explained that his tour of New Zealand was intended as a gesture of friendship from Australian art centres; it was an art mission to increase the interest taken in etching and art’ generally in New Zealand." Although it was apparent that the buying public was realizing the true art and beauty of good etchings, very few people knew the fine work being put out by Australian artists, still less that there were three New Zealand artist-etchers whoso work was of sufficiently high standard to justify their inclusion in the limited membership of Mr Finlay’s society. These were Richard Wallwork, A.R.C.A.; director of the Art School of the Canterbury University College; Archibald F. Nicoll, who, has confined himself to private portraiture, and Lindlay Richardson, the art director of the Palmerston North Technical College. Mr Finlay expressed himself as being astonished at the culture and refinement of New Zealand people generally. All classes of the community in New Zealand seemed to be keenly interested in art. Mr Finlay has visited the Christchurch and Dunedin Galleries and was very much impressed by the latter, which he considered held an excellent collection. The management had succeeded in creating the true atmosphere of a great gallery and the visitor was immediately conscious of this at the ■ moment of entering its precincts. New Zealand scenery was an El Dorado for artists, but Mr Finlay thought that, scenes of grandeur should not be attempted as yet by New Zealand artists who should confine themselves to easily-rendered subjects. . Mr Finlay himself, while in Dunedin, dashed off a couple of pleasing water colours of Tomahawk Bay. Although he concentrates on art pottery, Mr Finlay is also a competent etcher, being a pupil of Sydney Long, and he brings two fine studies of his own—one of manuka scrub and one of a derelict on a sea-beach. It is as an artist potter, however, that he has obtained recognition in Australia. Of his pottery work, Mr Ifould, the Principal Librarian of the National Library in Sydney, has publicly stated that it is comparable to the Sung masters of the early Chinese Empire. In this work Mr Finlay first drew attention to the fitness of aboriginal designs for decoration and he will probably make a study of Maori art in order to apply it on pottery of which he will execute a number of pieces while at Benhar on the return journey to Dunedin. It is his intention to donate a large vase symbolizing the Spirit of New Zealand to the Dunedin Gallery. A beautifully illustrated article on his pottery occurs in the eighth number of Art in Australia, whilst a fine vase has been purchased for the National Gallery at Sydney.

Amongst the foremost Australian members of the society, examples of whose work Mr Finlay has brought with him, are Sidney Long, A.R.E., Henry Van Raalti, A.R.E.. Herbert R. Gallop, Thomas Friedensen, Sidney Ure Smith and Bruce Robertson. Sidney Long, when already famous as a water colourist, went to England and spent 11-1 years at the London Etching School before publishing a single print. Mr Long has since had an etching hung at the Royal Academy for the past 12 years consecutively. He was asked to send in his name for associateship in the Royal Painter-Etchers’ Society, and is the only colonial who has been admitted to that exclusive body. Mr Lone’s work, which is extremely popular in New Zealand and Australia, has always been characterized by extreme delicacy of feeling and a rare lyrical quality. Henry Van Raalti, A.R.E., came out some, years ago from England to take charge of the Adelaide Gallery. He is now entirely devoting his efforts .to the production of beautiful etchings, aquatints and dry point’ His works have been hung in the Royal Academy since 1901, always on the line. Herbert R. Gallop produces beautiful dry points and his work has been purchased for the Melbourne Art Gallery. Thomas Friedensen, a pupil of Sir Frank Short and Frank Brangwyn, has had numerous etchings hung in galleries of Europe and America. Sidney Ure Smith is president of the Society of Artists in Sydney and managing director of Art in Australia. He has devoted himself almost entirely to the portraving of old landmarks in Sydney. Bruce Robertson- is well-known as a portrayer of delicate Australian landscapes. The collection as a whole-is intensely interesting and will be appreciated by Invercargill lovers of art.