THE ART EXHIBITION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9193, 24 March 1908, Page 4

THE ART EXHIBITION.

V SOME OF THE PICTURES. No. I. , The striking feature of the large collection of pictures which the Canterbury Society of Arts has gathered together in the Art Gallery is the number of exhibits from exponents of the atmospheric school. The works of Messrs Proctor, Thompson^ Walsh, HerdmanSmith, M'lntyre, Bickerton and Morton and Misses Stoddart, Waymouth and Hill are examples in the strongest way of the movement towards tone and colour. Mr Plroctor is represented by some eight examples, and is particularly happy in his Dutch pictures. The^ little picture, " Among the Marshes, Holland," is a piece of fine tone painting combined with a successful colour scheme. Again, in his "Idle Sails, on the Maas, Holland," he displays fine tonal quality with pleasing colour and sound draughtsmanship. His pictures, " An Old Mill, Dordrecht," and " The Old Canal," are examples of what can be produced by a knowledge of tone and an easy and re\ied technique. In his New Zealand \ibject, "The Oonah Stream, Lake Ma_hapouri," Mr Proctor caught the grey and wet atmosphere in an easy and simple way. The rushing water of the stream is full of< movement, though perhaps a little forced in tone. In his "Rivals" he is not quite so happy in the treatment of the foreground figure, which is a little hard, and the white in the costume is inclined to be out of scheme. Otherwise the sunlight and the figures in the shadow are well painted. Mr S. L. Thompson's. finest work is entitled "Isabel." Though primarily a portrait of the little daughter of Mr and Mrs W. E. Mills, it is an example of what can be done to make a portrait also a successful picture.- It is essentially a harmony in warm browns. The little figure is daintily posed and excellently composed. The lighting is skilfully arranged so as to take the attention direct ) to the face, a point that is so often missed by students of portraiture. Everything is subordinated to the head, which is well modelled and simply and directly painted. The little brown velvet dress and fur muff kre fine examples of the rendering of textures, and the little figure stands in a~ wainscotted room surrounded by a 6oft warm atmosphere. In ■ his picture entitled " The Fascination of the Sea " Mr x Thompson exhibits some, fine tone paiiting. , The figure sitting on the beach, lost in admiration of the sea is well posed. The seascape treatment' in the distance is cleverly kept back, everything being subordinated to the figure, which is delicately modelled. Of the several landscapes exhibited fc>y Mr Thompson " The Waimakariri, ' near Kaiapoi," "Sunset, River Moreaux, Concarnean," and " S .shine and Shadow " are the most spirited, ftfr E. W. Walsh is represented by some fine water colour pictures, chiefly West Coast subjects. " Lake Brunner" is a view of the lake seen through some tall native trees. The whole picture has a fine breezy atmosphere, the sky is moving, the water of the lake is liquid, and the cold blue mountains in the distance, partly covered by clouds, are admirably treated. In "On the West Coast Road" Mr Walsh again excells in his treatment of the distant mountains. " Western Valley, Little River," is another excellent water colour by the same artist. The warm brown tones on the banks of the stream are quite a departure from Mr Walsh's usual 000 l colour ,. _chemes. "Greymouth Harbour" is a strong, breezy little picture full of movement. "A Mountain Stream " is also one of Mr Walsh's successful pictures. The water rushing through the rocks and the wild rugged river banks and trees so typical of Kaikonra are finely ' painted-. Mr Herdman-Smith, director of the School of Art, has found time to paint several excellent water-colour pictures for the exhxibition. Mr Smith's work is characterised by a fine decorative quality, the fruit of long study of design. There is restraint in his work that proves him a master of the most perplexing problem in painting, how to use material in such a way as to /keep the unessentials from becoming obtrusive. As examples of this restraint such pictures as "A Grey Day, Kaikoura," " Sunset," " Sunlight " and " Moonlight " are of particular i_ipre_sivenes6. In them everything is subordinated to the main arrangement and to the broad statement of a decorative intention. When he deals with subjects of a more realistic type, such as "The Bend in the Road" and "The Coach Road," he fills in his pattern more elaborately, but his love for design keeps him from, allowing detail to affect the repose which forms a large principle in his work. The work of Mr Raymond F. M'lntyre is perhaps the most original in treatment of any in the exhibition. His work is that of a decorator who seeks to find in nature special opportunities for carrying to, completion a logical design. The pattern of his pictures forms his first consideration, he adjusts lines and masses and harmonises forms and he plans his colour jwith the closest consideration for its balance. In his " Portrait," Mr M'lntyre has subordinate everything to the face ; in fact, he has specially lit the face, and so caused

the attention to be at once directed to it instead of being carried away by unimportant details. in his portrait of Mr Gladstone Bell he has not been perhaps altogether successful. The pose of the sitter is a little awkward, but the colour throughout is beautifully refined and reposeful. The painting of the 'cello is excellent, and the background is a fine grey full of quality. His "Child's Head" is another example of reserved colour. In this picture the modelling has been carried further than in the other two, the white Brittany headdress and collar are fine examples of low-toned treatment of white material. In his landscapes Mr M'lntyre chooses very simple subjects, relying on atmosphere, tone and colour to give them interest. In his " Sunset," " Winter Morning " and " Moonlight " he has infused considerable poetic feeling- __-___-_-____«■—_«■«____