N.Z. ACADEMY OF FINE

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 936, 1 October 1910, Page 9

N.Z. ACADEMY OF FINE

ARTS.

PRELIMINARY NOTICE. SOME NOTABLE ."LOANS." ■' The twenty-second "annual - exhibition by-.the'; New; Zealand Academy; of >Fine Arts, which will'bo- opened by Lady Islington this afternoon;, bids fair to be .of very, special.'.interest.The . first [impression; is. that-.the: works ;eshibited : are/on the ' of previous years oil the score, of general merit..,-v'

. Tliero aro special features .to bo noted :"' ) in regard to this year's ;. - I There is'an/absence of■.: effect ..'. of : .a';predominance of './/;"Fividi;;*:. blues", in the landscape.work of former, years.. : The "hanging" lias been carried out on a different method, and there; appears to- be a> very.vmuck improved ,■ distribution of; examples ()f all-; subjects 4hat;;have: :beenchosen 'for'''ru "by the fe: :;;/^^ Tho hanging' has' been well done." j •There, are 315.examples of work on tho ! waßsy of /thei'gallery,'''.comprising ./bilsi]/':.;-! water colours,' and -pastel. >Of .tho last-' ] j named •ing' numbers - A .difficult vehicle; bufcv- I evidently ■ m popularity.-: : /As usual, the committee 'is much.]. .. hampered' for/ space,, and ' it is. im-; : \ I possible under present conditions to' dol > ' ( ■justice, to f -work: Nevcrthe-i ■; i less great pains have been' taken,vandi.' j .those responsible-far deserve well of ' the^-public; m- then of-* ri fort's'.,,to;;; 'accpmmddate.. the/pictures vtoj/Vjj the cramped wall space , | One new and very important depap-.:. •.! ture his -to -bo. noted. • -The conimitteai •: •* has wisely arranged:.for; tho nise of aa: ■ : extra; room :in Ballance ''Street,' wlier«''v/j •the overflow ■ of t /students';Svorl^^ by the various schools for, the compe- ■'< titiv]e ; se'etion. lias' jbeen;. plabedlifr/iThe'sa numerous • and,, very . interesting '' amplest are ; divided- between .'the side; ■ ;.i foomof the; gallery', and.the ; ; ] premises. ; - .This;;arrangement will en- ■■ • ■,! able all .who are .interested- m;-the pro-- .' gress.of the young students, to see their/'- . work under better; conditions than have. been possible. hithcito./ .The increased;:'.'', •/thej.-;;./; : keen.:competitio'n-/s^aky.'>y.olumes'.^ : ;/ "f, ;must not bo'-forgottenr that tlio future!" of -' the' artistic, development/of ?/ thisi country is'to ••be.found in tile-work of''; our young people./ There wo havo the v , elemental '.and;. .&tneiv,prpgre^siyGy: i bpenV'/andiiit'.-isjr.w'elljtpi.ißear/'jm that there is no. :royal.' road to excel-.' . '-lencne;; the; /- .-. post-crayon, as-itho -studentsy/coristanti.., companion''' was-,the' advice .of no less! ■; ; an: authority than.-.the great Sir'''Joshua!; /:i . Rbyiiblds^wh^^ | ..'pupils;j/' pencilii^tHeinstrunient/byivVj which. they, must- hope to obtain emin-./;v-'ltlis]- ijuite;:true that. in •, ali ;the'. great : ] /';/ as/their;^ .excellences . are considered,, it. is found ■. that those who excel most in- colouring .: •> -iwere'^;masters Henco ; tho . of • encouraging: the - student's work.'.per-se'.; in-j'' every.. ;' legitimate'way; and; to' wards -them:. Lot it;bo rempmbefed that; every bit of work ■ has 1 : value-when rt! : - has 'decided ; character and is-excellent :■ in its kind. - Thiß .is. specially'exempli-;-: ■' fied ■ in;; the . prize /water.- -colour; sketch. ?:' - /this, .yeaf^in^;.the/yEtudents'-; :'sbction. : / A.new note is struck this.yoar by a- " group of "loans."': ,These iloans-consist';' ; of two.- small-sized;' oil ■ paintings ' 1 one water colour drawing. vThese three'-" examples ; are ; worthy - of' special men- m tion. Tliey strike a new note inasmuchs ,as -they call attontion -to the value variety in the Style,'as well as the subject.: for-: contemplation and observ-v -j ance. ..Tho oils, are both-of the "spini tuel':'. order. .-.The larger ■of *tho-.; twoboth ! symbolical''and reverential. Thai -t 'J date is 1605, and is signed Rubenß. i' Tho work has; the points and 'the- chap.j acteristics of; an. early Rubens. ■' ' • ;:.] subject speaks - for itself,' and < the • in-i •» -;scrip'tion;;beldw : the spirit ;of thc .theme. ; .- ; v ./.'j

"Jo vous salue Remo du Ciel. Je i vous salue Reine des, J Anges, ~.t ig'e; sacree',- ; porta; isainte -d'ou est/ ///f , sorti la lunuere du monde Rsjouis- j sez vous, 0 vierge la plus belle et * 5 //la/pluis. ygracieusei/desi-vieirges^ ■ prio2 : votro::.lils-..Jcsus- Christ"-pour -i nous " - * With -reference'-to 1 , the date,rit will 1 s be.:;remembered i Rubens-..was-.born- ; ? Siegen, m Germany, m 1577, 'und died i in. 1640..; In 1600. ho ; went- to Italy,'and -y / spent - eight-.- years, -.i ■Mantua, Rome,"iFlorencev-^ands-Genoa,".:■ :.5 and m those years painted numerous pictures.-HHr.e r . re turned:'-to /Antwerp 1608, : when. ho. was I 'iappointed}. Courti': Painter to [the Archduke;. Albert,'.'and' -.-j his early masters.were Van ;Nooth,and/;; •• Otto Van Vemus, Anown 'as "Otto j Vemus" j

The history 7 .of.iliis, picture; is briefly as follows :r—Painted in'/ .1605, :■ wliejvv'..'-i Rubens; wa^iomfe^ereUnjlta^ to . the Emperor; .:; -• of Gefmany, Rodolph .II;. (the :;seventhi ■'i } ' German Emperor of t-he,-House, of Aus-i h tna), and was placed- m the Imperial'. « Palace at- Schonbrunn,' one and a quarter, 'd miles -south-west of Vienna, where Na- ; j .poleon'.took: up ,Ins dieadquarters ..before,; his attack'bii.Vio'nha.." After. Napoleon: - - j entered .Vienna,.he!carried off as spoil '. -vi of war such' works', of ' art as lie' could pbjecU"'of '-'value,'.:-.' was- ; this. -particular;*\ : placed m the 'Louvre, whenco. l ; it waS .returned", to Schonbnum,:-and sub-: -- i | sequent!)- came ■'into • the possession of < afamily , named ■-. Mohnbruch, .< b.T : giffe. l . a 3 from the Emperor of Austria; and duly.. VleMenfled:'to; bnMffairiily;:s-(Hip!;inarrie : Fafher Molloyj v of^^;:Mastertbii;vtb^;::w&m:®ta I the picture:at' present belongs',-vand ; by,-* ■? w-hom .it;has been kindly ,lent; for cs- ,'. Tiibition. It is of''Ruben's.; later Works;;:;' ',j that it" has..been..said ''libw. perfectly ,:'■; masical:.is -levervi-line,: every-v.-colouri $ ;hpw-:fuli o of;'well-being: : little boisterous be;; b®;lull joy. and .beauty." ';. • . 'f-' . < Tho other oil osample is a Madonna :. : and Ohild, att-nbuted to Paolo 1 nese, .but■ the : signature Js>undecipher-.>-.w; able.-.; The. .value ''of- these exhibits; is-.:-.:,. s : m their educative direction on ! artistic" .va - lines.-• It . will:, be >necessary, to ■rofer--.".-to "them later,- but they l are a feature;: ' of.'tho'exhibition'..' • ' .. . ... ' : .."Another interest-irig : loan is: tho.orig-A--: inal- detailed ■ drawing,: in black: and ' : white,' by Caton Woodvillo,: the battle. f' ainter, for his'picture of. ..tlio .-87 th , oot—rnow known as' ;:tho lr.t - Battalion '.j Princpss Victoria's Royal Irish Fusi- j hers—•"The- Eagle.- TakorE,"- -so named: : from having-.taken •the - first. Frenfch Eagle, at Barossa. -; Caton - - WoodviHe's : :-5 -picturo ; was exlubited at the Salon, and -j .the artist sjaye .this drawing to. Cap-V 1 tam Bryce -who lent> it for - ex- ,y .■ ,* hibition:: It is a lino study,..: and full -J 'of reflection and suggestion' for ; .-our :.: 1 "Territorial ,Enthusiasts.". . There • aro : :! a few 87th representatives among'our' . .': j Rbval. Veterans. '. nie: 87th ..wears'tlie. " ; 1 badge of the Eagle- andwieath" .of . .■ Laui els

Enough has been. said: by :■ way of .■ vj preliminary remarks onthe - ' exhibition ; •;! '.of ..pictures;.. and one may risk- the, ques- '■ ■: j tion, Why do. wo-loolt at pictures?. :Tho . o answer is found in. the. words'-of the j late G. T. AVatts: ...f'l'pamt. not things.''. "I paint primarily becanso > IWe something to say, \ and) sinco ,j the- gift of denied me, I use painting. My in- , tention is not so, much. to. please the ' :• j eye as to suggest great thoughts, which shall speak to the'/imaginatiorii/faid the heart, and arouso all - that is- boat -vi>: j and noblest in humanity." , j