EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS.

Colonist, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5882, 15 August 1890, Page 3

EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS.

i An exhibition of paintings, ohiefly of New . Zealand Flowers, &c, was opened in- the I Shelbourne street Schoolroom yesterday after- ■ noon, and during the day the exoeeiingly 1 interesting collectioa .v/as "viewed by very ; many. Miss Harria showed a great number ' of paintings of alpine and other rare flowers, ' 83 weU as many of a more common descripi li >n, though none the less beautiful perhaps, and the interest which attached to the pio 1 tures aa paintings was greatly enhanced by ' the opportunity afforded of examining such ' admirable representation of flowers only to [ be seen in ttuir nativa soil after bo stiff a olimb that they are praoticaUy without the reach of most people. Oae of the most ad- ' niirel of the p.imiDga stood on an easel upm I the fmall stage, and represented the seed [ panicle and seed of the Ti Toi, commonly called the mountain cabbage tree. The tree itself is rare, and as it grows in localities 1 sellom visited nhen the seed is ripe the 1 picture presents a new Btudy, and the beautiful blue of the mass of s j eds p9epiog from . their covering makes an effective picture, and the study has been well treated, Other pic--1 tures of the mountain cabbage and of the I nai nai in blossom also claimed much atten- • tion. A painied screen of three panels, which | stands near the former, claims admiration. With a few effective sprays of lycopodium ' and of ferns, the native clematis, coovoivulus, f and laoewood flowera are effectively reproi duced. A study in sepia of tetoki berries i and convolvu'ug blofl3oms should not be overlooked. Several tab c tops, on whioh floral ' subjects are painted, attract the notice of ' visitors, as also do a number of panals. The i paintings of saarlet and yellow rata are very , effective, and some groups of flowers admir- < ably arranged and foiobtully represented are certain not to be overlooked. Amoag these flower a the Gh&tham Island forget-me-not is , prominent. Two studies, tbe •' Voioa of i Morning," and " the Silver Eje'sNea ," have been shown before. Amongst the more rare 1 subjects treated by Mies Harria may be men- ■ tioned primula from Mount Egmont, \he ' Maori sacred lily rengarengs, a sdmesia, the 5 blanket-like appear acoa ot the under leaves being skilfully reproduced, the Mount Cook ' lily, the senecio heocori, the tainui blossoms ' (obtained at Mokau), ranauculus from Mount i Egmont, and some orchids. A mantle dope ) Worked in »ik, with flowera of the red kowhai served to show how admirably adapted are our New Zealand flowers for tbe purposes of 1 such decorative work. Miss Eden Harria ; exhibited a number of paintinup, amongst which may be special y noticed those enti led ' " Puss Puas," " The Three Chorister Boys," some chrysanthemums, and painted panels with rata and mistletoe. Amongst tbe ex--1 hibits by Miaa FranotS Harris three entitled I "^Refreshment by tho way," "Innocents p abroad," and " Hia very best," claimed moat notice perhaps. Space dues not admit of ' reference being mada here to more than a I few of the paintings, but the exhibition a* a ; whole ia a veiy intert sting one, and should t be visited by all who have any love for the beautiful. From an educational poiat of view, theee pictures ought to be studied by j the ohildtea, ia whom there should exist a I love for the flowera of their native land. The exhibition will be open this afternoon and evening, and during the same hours tomorrow. i _______