THE ART EXHIBITION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5583, 5 June 1896, Page 4

THE ART EXHIBITION.

THE PICTURES. y. WATER COLOURS. • Miss N. Gardner sends a .number of small landscapes, freely but not strongly painted. No. 251, "Okoliura Valley," is pretty, but the colour is too pale to be natural. In No. 292, "Sketch, Bank's Peninsula," the native fuchsia trees in the foreground are well treated, but the hills in the background are too light'in colour. No. 293, a study of creek and bush, is rather crude in colour, but the general effect is pleasing. Mr T. Cane's " Roman Gateway at Trevers " (No. 254), is strongly drawn and painted, though not very clear in tone. Thfe rendering of the architectural details is exceedingly good. No. 270, " Mayfield, Sussex," a very pleasing study of a picturesque old house, is admirably drawn and painted with much taste. | Miss M. Gardners " Creek at Castle Hill, Banks Peninsula" (No. 258), is defective in drawing and not very correct in tone. No. 297, " Gough's Bay Eoad," is a pretty sketch, better drawn, but is far too pale in colour. There is good drawing also in No. 327, "Auckland Harbour." The treatment of No. 333, " Gough's Bay," is somewhat stiff. There is one work by the late Mr TV. E. Fairholme (No. 267), "Old House, Avonhead " ; the house itself, which is fairly well treated, is the most satisfactory part of the picture. Mr W. Ferrier, whose work shows decided improvement, sends a creditable sketch of the s.s. "VVakatipu leaving Thnaru, well, if not powerfully drawn. Miss L. Hart's two sketches of Stunner (Nos. 281 and 308) are promising, but in No. 321, "Stunner Bar," she has been even more successful. Mr E. W. Peyton's large picture, "On the Waitemata" (No. 284), is broadly painted and decidedly artistic. The Maori whare in the foreground is very effectively treated, but the background seems rather flat. No. 338, '"On Silver Stream," is a pleasing study of a bush stream. The water, however, is hardly transparent enough. In Mr J. M. Nairn's sketch of the Tinakori Eoad (No. 290) the colour is rather too bright, but the drawing is good. Mr A. Pattle Izett's "Study on the Estuary" (No. 296) is well drawn, and the treatment of the water is effective, but the sky is opaque. Miss A. Austin has two small pictures, No. 300, " View near Durrington, Sussex," and No. 304, " Cottage at Chitcombe, near. Winchester," pretty and carefully drawn, though rather bright in colour. Miss H. M'lntyre's clever little studies No. 305, " The Arrival," a newlyhatched chicken, and No. 309, " The Vegetarian," a guinea pig feeding on a. carrot, are capital in drawing and natural in colour. The monochrome studies of the entrance to Eouen Cathedral (No. 288), the south choir aisle of Canterbury Cathedral (No. 357), and the entrance to Thomas a' Beckett's chapel (No. 360), by Mr F. P. Barraud, of London, are drawn with admirable delicacy and freedom. The figures introduced in tlie last are particularly good. Mr Barraud also sends a dainty little view of some of the quaint old buildings of Dieppe-(No. 356.) Mr N. Barraud, of Palmerston North, has a creditable sketch of an autumn scene on a lagoon (No. 307), somewhat flat, but fairly true to nature in tone. No. 319, " Sunset at New Norfolk, Tasmania," has merit, but the colour is not altogether natural. No. 330 ? "A South-castex 1 , Cook's Strait," is vigorously drawn and good in colour. "Mrs S. F. Thomas's little landscapes, " Takaka Track " (No. 311) and "The Gap, Pangitatura, Nelson " (No. 312) are creditably drawn and bright, rather tod bright, in colour. No. 331, "Mount Arthur," is better, being more natural in tone. Miss M. Stevenson's sketch, " At Sumner " (No. 317) is promising, but the colour is not very successful. No. 318, "Autumn," by Miss M. Williams, has promise both as t drawing and colour. Miss B. D. Acland's view of Cloudy Peak, Mesopotamia (No. 322) is a pleasing landscape of rather light tone. The treatment of the distant peaks is especially effective, and there is a good atmospheric effect. No. 342, "At St Leonard's," by Mrs E. M. Andrews, is crude, but promising. Mr G. L. Lloyd's " Vale Crueis Abbey " (No.' 256) is crude and not natural •in tone. Two admirable water-colour drawings of the quaint buildings in the picturesque old city of Chester, by Louise Rayneiy JJ.I. (Nos. 352 and 353) are lent by Mr W. H. Hargreaves. No. 359, " Spring Flowers," by Miss Robertson, a study in monochrome of two children playing in a field of flowers, is hard and somewhat defective in drawing, but is, nevertheless, promising. Miss M. Gee sends a clever charcoal study of a head (No. 362). Mr E. W. Fereday has a study from the nude (No. 361) in the style made familiar by his previous works. Mr E. A. Ballantyne shows very good architectural drawings of the Hynian Mai'ks ward and a house at Crannier Square ; and Mr W. A. P. Clarkson sends a creditable drawing of an "ingle nook "in a dining-room. Among the most popular features of the exhibition are the dainty' pastels of Mrs M. Cooke, of Nelson. The subjectsare.it must be admitted, somewhat trivial — a young lady completing her toilet, a ballet girl resting, and the like— but the treatment is free, graceful and tasteful. The faces, are exceedingly well rendered, but the lady seems to find a little difficulty in drawing hands. The best of her pictures is No. 273, "La Danseuse," a girl in a black, gauzy dress, sitting with a tambourine in her hand. I WORKS FOR COMPETITION. The work shown in competition for the medals and certificates offered by the society is sufficiently creditable to justify the society's action, Some of iiris.very crude, but some is moro than promising. Mr W. Greene's canvas "Washdyke Lagoon," which gained the silver modal for landscape, is smoothly painted and pleaslttgj if not very powerful in treatment. In Miss Nina Jones's " Hollyberry " (No. 364), Avhich was honourably mentioned, tlie greens are too violent. The head (No. 376) for which Mrs Waller gained a silver medal, is well drawn and painted, and has some character. Mr C. Biekerton has received honourable mention for No. 374, "An Old Soldier's Story," a clever study, but unsatisfactory in colour and hard in treatment. Mr T. H. Eides' design for wall paper (No. 379), which has been honourably mentioned, is effestive and not devoid of originality, and Mr W. Thompson's decorative design (No. 382), which has been awarded a bronze medal, is artistic and effective. There are but three exhibits under the l heading " Sculpture," a not very successful bust, in marble, of the late Eev Dr Stuart, not very like the subject, by Mr R. Partridge, and a terra-cotta vase and umbrella stand, artistically decorated with native flora, by Miss M. Gee.