THE ART EXHIBITION.

Observer, Volume 8, Issue 435, 23 April 1887, Page 17

THE ART EXHIBITION.

By the Observer Man,

Dear Observer, attired in a claw-hammer coat and a pair of water-tight boots, 1 made my way to the Art Gallery on Friday last, to attend"the opening conversazione. The claw-hammer coat was worn in deference to the almost universally observed custom on these interesting- occasions. The water-tight boots were donned for the purpose of helping me through the crowd. [Next to a sharp pin I don't know anything more handy in a crowd.] You. remember the Laureate's exquisitelines, of course? • There was an old fellow of Ealing, So totally devoid of all feeling, Your toes he trod hard on, And never begged pardon, But laughed when he set you a squealing ! That explains the water-tights. Did I see the pictures ? You might as well as me whether I saw the books downstairs in the Library. No one saw the pictures. They couldn't. Many desperate efforts were made to see them, but the thing was impossible. We were packed like sardines in a tin, a dense, struggling, bewildered, perspiring crowd. What did people go for? — To see and to be seen, of course. They went to hear the President's address, you say? I beg your pardon, they didn't do anything of the kind. No, sir. The Vice-President had to hammer away like an auctioneer or a twopenny postman, before he could catch our attention, and when he had caught it he couldn't keep it. Almost. immediately the buzz of conversation recommenced, and the poor Vice's remarks became audible only to the select few immediately surrounding him. That's a sample of our manners, that is, and we're proud of our manners, we are. After being carried seven' 1 ' times around, the room on the backs of those in front of me — i didn't got a chance to walk— it occured to ir.c that tho joy of attending an Art SoeiciyV. corwr.siuionc has its limits. Then. I got t 1 :-: v.aterti^'U:£ to work, and forced my way oml F felt very limp sfter the exhausting ordeal I had gone through, I can assure you, and just popped into Twohill's for a modest quencher and a cigar. i Next day I looked in again. What y a change 1 A neat - handed Phyllis was sweeping the floor of the gallery ; otherwise it was empty. Where was now the giddy throng? Where — I was going to do a little moralising here, but I won't. I know ' our space is limited,' as the printers* deyvil remarked when he was asked to have more cake at the Sunday-scnool picnic. And now for a hurried glance at a few of the pictures. 16, 'Preservation Inlet' by T. Ball, is a delicious little painting, the foreground beingbold and striking, and the distant mountains at the back beautifully soft and mellow. The price, I was somewhat surprised to observe, was only £4. 73, • Portrait of a Lady ' represents a bull slut sitting in meditative attitude. The picture is striking. ' Pants,' who was with me, recognised the breed immediately. But it has its faults, artistically speaking, nevertheless. The nose is absurdly fore-shortened, and tho fore-legs don't look by any means natural at their junction with the body. BG, 'Evening, Auckland Harbour,' isbyG.J. Gibb, and is, in my humble opinion, a gem. The water with its sun-lit ripple is perfection. The artist has modestly put eight guineas on his work, and it ought to be worth considerably more than that. 209, ' Twilight on the swamp of the Awaroa in flood,' from the brush of Mr Alfred Sharp, is a beautifully-executed watercolour ; the trees are especially worthy of ' notice, but then Sharpe's trees always are, I while the twilight effects are really exquisite. 100, ' Portrait of Captain Webb/ TJ. S Consul, struck me as frightfully severe in. expression. Capt. Webb mast have eaten something that disagreed with, him when that portrait was taken. It makes him ferocious. I christeued the picture 'Forty shillings, or one month' as soon as I clapped eyes on it. 96, ' Did she say so Vby Mr L. J. Steele, shows two old chums seated on a garden bench, smoking and yarning. One is a gaylooking dawg in a striped tennis jacket (and of course other clothing) ; the other is also of davvgish appearance. I regret to observe that neither belongs to the Blue Ribbon Army. One has a tumbler of whisky handy; his friend is toying with a halfemptied glass of port. The figures are both remarkably life-like oud natural, and the picture shows all ths car-jful finish for which Mr Steele is famous. Sill it seems to me that £60 is a little— a very little— stiff . 239 and 240, SSuushine' and 'Shadow,' are the work of Mr W. Boodle, the Observer artist. 'Pi^y are portraits in moriocrome of native encountered by Mr Boodle during ,sbis recent trip to the South Seas, and one o£ 'em has — ahem ! — very little on. They are both woll-Vxecuted, and 'Shadow,' is especially/ worthy af praise. Boodle appears to have had/ a high old time in those tropic isles. WjW are you going to despatch me as ' special 'to the South Seas ? A series of articles f/om this gifted pen— [That will do. Ed. O.] / That's all I have to tell you this week. Probably n is as much as you will find room for ; anyhow it's all. Some evening next week I intend to don the water-tights again, and, in company with the faithful Pants, will pay another visit to the Exhibition.