At the Society of Arts Exhibition.

Observer, Volume XIV, Issue 793, 10 March 1894, Page 9

At the Society of Arts Exhibition.

Auckland Society of Arts opened its fourteenth annual exhibition at the Choral Hall, on Wednesday, 28th ult. And we may say at onoe that, taken as a whole, this year's exhibition Bhows a marked improvement on that, of last year. But there's room for improvement yet — oh, rather, plenty of room. But some of oar Auckland artists have made astonishing progress sinoe they last exhibited, and that's a fact. And strange to say, the men who were ' slated ' the most unmercifully last year in the Observer showed the greatest improvement this year.

We offer oar best congratulations to Messrs Drummond, Ball and Pay ton. Mr Payton has reason to be really proud. He is getting on nioely, thanks ! As for Mr Steele— we wish we could say something nice about bis work. Bat how can we be complimentary if he won't give as a show ? Speaking plainly, we consider Mr Steele is a splendid mechanioal draughtsman. Bat we do not consider him a true artist. Mr Ball's work, taking it all round, is excellent this year. Artists would do well to remember that ' slap- dash ' scamped work is not soon forgotten. It takes muoh good work to wipe oat the remembrance of hurried ' pot-boilers.' But Mr Bali is making progress. While touching on this matter we may instance the exhibits of Mr C. Blomfield, which this year are, speaking generally, very poor. It is hard to believe that the man who painted the famous picture of the Terraces (exhibited a few day 8 ago), turned out some of the pictures credited to him at this year's exhibition. The pupils' cast-work is much better this year than last. Mr C. Goldie (one of the competitors) aotaally forwarded a specimen all the way from Paris ! Although Goldie's work is good, the drawing of the chin in the head exhibited is a bit faulty. We consider the drawing of Kingsford and Hemus even better, and these latter, be it remembered, are Auckland pupils.

The photographs shewn this year are a distinct advance upon those exhibited last year. Messrs C. F. Bell, Trenwith and Hill are especially deserving of praise for the specimens they show. Messrs C. Hemus and J. B. Hanna both exhibit portrait work of a very high class. Taking the Exhibition all round we consider that it is most creditable and we heartily congratulate Mr J. L. Holland on the success of his efforts to get the • hatchet buried ' and reconoile those differences of opinion between our artists which threatened at one time to be permanent. Mr Holland has done good service to the cause of local art.

And now for the pictures : 1, * Lake KUesmere, Canterbury.' Summed up in five words- an ant-hill in motion. 2, ' Off to Waibeke 1* The sooner it goes the better. 3, 'On the Whangarei Eiver. 1 Middle distance good. Foreground very weak. Water solid. 4, Still life study. Perspective of tray good. Splendid drawing. 5, 'Banscombe Farm, Devon.' Animals bad. Sky bad. Apparently an attempt to imitate an ' old master.' 6, ' Near the Mills, Auckland Harbour.' Water off colour. No transparency about it. Sails spotty. One remove from a ' black and white.' 7, 'Boses.' Want of light and life very noticeable.

8, ' The Meeting of the Waters ' New Plymouth.' Water too solid. No reflection of sky. 9, ' Cascade on Oraka Creek.' Water really good. Perspective ditto. Highly creditable. 10, 'Anemones.' Splendid bit of illuminating. Flowers flat. Cloth well painted. 11, 'A Summer's Afternoon, Motutapu.' All foreground, no middle- distance at all. Log is an excrescence and should be painted out. 12, ' Lion Book. 1 Shows the artist is learning to wield the brush with decision. Colouring weak. Drawing shews great improvement.

14, ' Grey Twilight.' An impression. 15, ' Arnold, son Of Chas. Groome, Esq.' A really splendid bit of drawing and colouring. 16, 'The Kaimatura Gorge.' Miles better than last year. Logs aod rooks clearly drawn. Water should be more transparent. 17, ' Nasturtiums.' Leaves brought too much to the front, and colouring might be richer. Finely drawn. 18, 'Darby and Joan.' All out

of drawing. 19, ' Man urangi Biver.' Hot the artist's übubl Btyle. He should be aware of chrome yellow. 20, 'At Fliielen, Lake, Switzerland.' Atmosphere too ' spotty.' Too much detail. Book in foreground weak, and light on water unnatural.

21, ' The Waimangaroa, near Westport,' Very pretty piotare, bat laoks atmosphere. 22, '■ Mount Earnshaw.' Same remark applies to this. 23, 'Azaleas.' Well drawn bat laoks breadth. 24, • Gladioli,' Drawing good ; background dirty ; badly lighted. 25, 'Stokely Farm, Devon.' Very poor for this artist. 26, ' Meroury Bay. 1 Very creditable. 27, ' St. Helier's Bay.' Sorely not by Blomfield ? 28, • Auokland Harbour.' One of the best pictures in the show. A marvellous study of light and shade. 29, ' Native Bird.' Very poor. 30, • A Qaiet Evening.' Too quiet. 31, 'The Little Baker.' Face good but laoks freshness. Drapery bad and undecided. 32, 'Takapana.' Pretty picture; full of air, drawing of water good. 33, * Early Morning.' Inky and colorless. 34, ' Kanieri Lake.' Colour clean, but drawing weak. 35, 'Near the Thames.' Fairly good. 36, 'Waikato Biver.' Flimsy and dirty. Clouds terrible.

37, ' Mrs Bleazard. 1 A splendid bit of drawing. Colouring exquisite. True to nature. The lace collar particularly good. Well done, Auckland ! If pupils oan turn out suoh work as this without going Home why go Home? 38, 'Flagship. 1 Too inky. Lacks colour. Boat very well drawn. 39, ' Rev. Dr. Purohas.' Remarkably well drawn and faithful portrait. But light wants distributing, especially on coat. 40, ' Diamond Lake.' Fine pioture, but laoks air ; colouring in middle distance kills foreground. 41, Life Study, 'A Gondolier.' Evidently a portrait of Professor Richard in a calaleptio fit. 42, 'Eaihikatea Swamp.' One of artist's best efforts. Atmosphere splendid ; water really good, but right foreground undefined. 43, ' Sand bills, Kaipara.' Suggestive of a good pioture. Artist should be heard of again.

44, 'Bush Track, Waiheke.' Black on black ! There'B no such thing as black in Nature. Artist has reversed bis usual order. Colour stronger in the distance than in the foreground. Figure badly proportioned. 45. ' Wild Roses.' Attempt at breadth and tone, but false in colour, background orude. 46, ' Jack Tar.' Out of drawing. Not nearly so good as small portrait by same artist. 47, ' Bain in the Hills/ Sunny effect, but rathe? too ' painty.' Why put the Noah's Ark cow^n the water ? 48, • Wanganui River.' Too woolly. Like all this artist's work, showß a want of decision. 49, ' Gumdiggers' Hut.' Very strong effects. Nioely painted. 50, • Nellie.' A great advance on this artist's work of last year. But hind leg of horse out of drawing.

51, Tattooing in the olden time (unfinished), gives one the impression that the whole of the figures have been painted piece-meal from a job lot of models. Gloomy and dull, the picture is without illumination, and yet shadows are shown ! Far too mcch detail in mats. Figure of Maori in left-hand corner, like a sack of potatoes with a maori head carefully painted on the top of the bag. Arm like a pump-handle sticks out of the side. Maori with the mere would look merrier without it. Why introduce an implement of warfare into a picture of this class? Figure of girl standing against whare stiffly drawn, especially the arm. Maori women look as though they were out off square at the waist, like bo many ninepins. In fact, the whole picture gives one the impression of a still-life study.

52, « Boad, Kurrajong Heights, N.S.W. ' Drawing weak. 53, 'Queen Charlotte's Sound.' Pretty picture, but this is not a New Zealand atmosphere ! 54, ' Polo Pony.' Not bad. 55, ' Coromandet Harbour.' Very poor and flimsy. 56, 'The Dying Day.? Chinese-puzzle like work, suggestive of a picture executed in bits of cork. 57, • Buttercups and Broom.' Weak in lighting. 58, 'Life Study.' Is this what we go to Paris for ? Anatomy bad. Grade in the extreme.

The conclusion of our critique will appear in oar next week's issue.

St. Benedict's children's fete takes place on St. Patrick's Day. A conoert and comedy will be given in St. George's Hall, Monday, March 12th. A hoßt of talent — professional and amateur.