THE EVERGREEN.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 268, 18 November 1870, Page 2

THE EVERGREEN.

One of tlie most remirkable pictures that we have ever sden, and one which we bedeve to be unique, is tit present on view in uowev Que< n-street, next door to Mr. S. Hague Smith's. It is ii wooden picture literally: tiie native woods of the colony, in their variOUH natural lints, supplying the pio.i eof oil and canvas. It will be supposed that such inlaying, however manifesting skill in wood-cutting, must have v clumsy appearance as a picture; but we can give the assiirab.ee that such an idea is a total error, the work viewed simply us a picture being one of extreme beauty and finish. It seems almost incrt.dibie that such a coup d'eeil could be produced by tho combination of such materials ; yet the pieces that form the picture vary mtllickiieas from a sixteenth to aa eighth of an iueli, and there is neither staiu nor paint in the whole composition, the view is a uiarino and coast scene, with, a lull-ringed ve-sel under sail. Tiie waves of the s a are hinj-uhirly pour* triiyt'd in the#i.arle<i graiu of the paitieular wood gi-licttd for tiie puipose. The bellying sails, the spars, ai.d cordage could i.O; be more, naturally and accurately Bli.Ovs;ii ty the. paint-biuMi. .« n 'he led, a weatkit-i eaieu ciui> stumls b Idly out, ov< mousing n prtiy linle vil a,;e mstlinii at is bus:, wbiiu he li^nihuuse, tie b"»t with i:s uceupimiV, tlie gaunt ma-fowl on li\6 shore, oilier bud* iv the distance on the win>;,oiie wei d-icokiii« lutoii soaring* iv tlie furt'gro mi tic boiling waves and undulating hills, with the crescent moon shiumg ov. r al , produce a picture so beautuul in is.if,- and so suygf-stire of sta side musings that the eje loVi/s to linger on it. ■ othing could escel the acc.irai-y aid skill «nd taste w.ith which 11 c' tints uave been biended ; and singular t« reiatf, the picture can not only bear HLSpei-tion with a magnifying but improvt'S in beauty from such inspection. We. have said the picture is unique. We bdieve it is the only realisation of wood-

pa;ntinor in the world ; and on carpr nlly examining it, w« do not wo-der tliit it I'as b"en the result of Pony lrm<j year-* of lnhour. Really 'ovelvin itself. tb.epi'-tU'-P is invested with a noir interest wHpn we think of a man tnilincr so loner in difficulty without a word of outside sympathy, cheered only by the hope that, sneered at as his efforts were. lie wmld P™ducfl a work that th« ■world would vet recognise ; and that he might have in it a provision for tli^se nearest and dearest to him. We speak of encouraging home industries ; works of art; are re'lvps not sufficiently utilitHr'an to be embraced in the category, bnf they servp a bi'jh prn-riose amone so W agenoies, "tid a government, whether G-eneral or Provincial, would r?o itself honnpin conf-Tring1 on such an effort a substantial token of recognition.