ART EXHIBITION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 937, 3 October 1910, Page 6

ART EXHIBITION.

OPENING CEREMONY,

LADY ISLINGTON'S .VIEWS ON ART

AND ARTISTS.

There was a distinct word of encouragement in the speech by Lady Islington on the occasion of the opening of the Art Exhibition on Saturday in the statement that familiarity with the works of the great-artists in the older countries would not have the effect of narrowing the sympathies of anyone who had a true love, of art. That is the key-note. .The cultivated power of sympathy with all that'broadens the outlook while appreciating tho need of those,refining senses that are necessary for the betterment of .humanity, is tho. virtue in art. Tho president of the Academy;. Mr. H. .S.:-...'WardoU, in his introductory speech, voiced the needs of .-.the 'institution. ■ He •stated that on beh.ilf of the Academy' it was his privilege to.;offer her .Excellency a very Jiearty ..welcome, and to thanK - her for consenting, to open the twentysecond annual exhibition. Having so recently left the centres of European civilisation and culture 'where the fostering and patronage of the fine ;arts were.ja recognised duty of the State, as a "factor in' the elevation and refinement: of people, where the > wealthy prided' tlieinselves on the encouragement they gave to art and surrounded themselves with'its choicest works, where art was studied under the most, favourable conditions possible, and having been accustomed to visit-the glorious, exhibitions , of London aiid Paris, her Excellency would, without doubt, have a feeling of disappointment on > viewing the work collected here.. But when the many disadvantages'"'under which our art students and;artists work, were considered, he felt .assured she would recognise that in the face of great difficulties, they had produced works of much excellence, the inspection of which'would prove a source of pleasure to all.who visited the exhibition.- While regretting..the' absence of some of the usual exhibitors, the. number of works sent in'was gratifying. Tho quantity, of,students', .work.j which had come in.from.Auckland,,Palmerston, Wellington, Christchurchj ■ and XDune'din in competition for the small prizes offered .was unusually large and rendered it neces-. ;sary'to hang ."some'.of them. : ;in another :b.riilding.■'Some' of the,' students' work was very good and the whole formed an interesting feature of, the, exhibition.. In black.and w-hito and,art crafts', the exhibits .this.: year were, few.' --.Thero were two or. three \ pictures which, although , not.: strictly.' within .the scope:;- of tho annual "exhibition,, 1 were felt'toibe of sufficient interest to. hang and thaiiks were due to their owners for'placing tbem at the club s disposal. • The- gallery pictures, with all the attendant risk,-ihad tp be again; removed to make way. for: this exhibition, .but .they were 'encouraged .to hope: ■ that; before very long a ; permanent, and more suitable room would;be provided .forjthem where they would 'be always accessible to.the;'public.' Mr.'Wardell then asked her.Excellency,.to. declare.the exhibition open..::',';: '.:"•'.'• '/'-..'

Lady .Islington's Remarks. ' ■; Ladyjlslingtbn, in response to the presi. dent's.invitation, said:— ' .. •,;' '"Mr. Wardell, Sir Joseph' Ward, ladies, and gentlemen,—lt is a pleasure to; mb to associate myself with the progress of art in, Wellington. It has been' soid, 'As the sun .colours;flowers, so Art colours .life,' which, I think, is.a,very true observation. And I ,am ..Sure this' Academy of . Art must do a'great deal, to colour the.lives of the lovers of the beautiful New Zealand. Mr.'.Wardell saidi, that he is afraid ,1. .might., feeljl a ; dash, of. '. disappointment ..-here; ...ailter ' what I, have-- been acoustomed- to,' but I can. assure him and you that the; wonderful good, fortune-1 ; have, had inS'seeing the treasures m: London, Paris;m Venice,'- Florence, and VH-omo has not .narrowed my appreciation., for; all--branches; of art, and that every effort towards .'art,; and -.towards, .'cultivating, what is.beaufiful?,is'.'irily;the ; ihbre endeared .'to me. through seeing the. most magnificent; specimens, of. art, whether .it be in painting, or in architecture, in other countries. I am not. an art- critic. . I should like to- have aconnoisseur's' eye, which can;: seojin . some neglected, „dust"covored picture-a real, Titian, ; and so, by paying, a' /tiny, sum; secure,: to jithe -public a. work:of -art.■;.-■ And yet T. naye.; listened to. some; : art critics, whosei; academic' criticisms 'and cold-blooded interpretation of some, line' or fold, or theji/want' of :grouping br;;missing some spirit or. con-. ;tra«/t, : has prevented their enjoying wiat -to me was a .'purely, beautifcil, inspiring work, of genius. -I feel then qttite thankful .:that-; ; ,;; . .■'■;. ';' .k - : ;'.'-' .'• ■..-' •

"'A primrose ty. the : river's] bank • : A simple primrose is tome;a:ad nothing • more. \. .'■" ~'\ '• .. .'p.- ■'

; "I 'should, like, to' have the genius of a jman. like -Sir. Hugh Lane.: I met him just before I left London. He is an Irishman,':. and.' when he ;.was quite a hoy developed such .'a lovo of art, and showed .so much; talent for it, that his father consented t to.'let'him go to, Eng-land-and study the.art of a connoisseur. He ; ;went through some; youthful vicissitudes, nearly "starving ;himseli: to buy pictures, but nothing damped his ardour. Later oh, by his own-successful dealings,' ho made some .£30,000, and with, characteristic: generosity ..and', 'patriotism,'• ho spent nearly the whole of his fortune in founding the Dublin Gallery, (! the .first attempt at a' representative' collection of modern art.to be,-found in the British" Isles. -At. the early ago of-thirty-four, he received his.kuighthqod, in rec6gnition of his work, on', bekali:' of .Irish national art; '• I' find -myself wishing that the artists, of-thb- present-day were more like those of a century or two ago.- Their pictures were.'so finished, their, hands so. beautifully 'executed, men like-.'• Van. Dyck and' Sir Joshua Eeynolds. There' is almost/ too 'much, impressionist . work •nowadays,.'.though;ono.caunot but admire the'.wdrk. of such' men 'as Manet ,and Daubigny... Jit Paris there is a separate exhibition, for the;:impressionist school,-and-one sees-there-such' grotesque pictures /as/yon can 'hardly 'imiigme. ;A. Frenchman made: a.bet.he would have a picture accepted,-.'■ painted by a donkey! He .'tied a paint brush to. its;rtail;- and tickled its nose with a thistle. '..Tho tail frisked' about—the■. result 'wasil called a :seascape, and accepted.,]', I ..believe '.' the authorities werr very angry, when they discovered the 'trick. .'This is a true storyi Some, of the impressionist -school' certainly,do hot agree.with'K«ats that—

~'." 'Beauty is ;truth;'.truth, beauty, y \And that'is all ye'.'know oh earth, '■• And all ye need to know.'

"I hope that in, any : way I can, (luring my stay in Now Zealand, I. may prove myself the -constant friend, and, if possible, the helper of all those who wish to encourage or be encouraged in tlie furtherance of Art.'■ ...I do. not wish to keep you any longer from admiring the work's now. before us. .1 will, conclude by quoting. Keats' well-known and beautiful line's: :'. .•'-■.". ,'.'.•'■ V V " 'A thing.of beauty .is a joy for ever:

Its'loveliness, increases: • ■ v It will "never pass into nothingness.'"

Speech by Sir Joseph Ward,

Sir Joseph Ward was in a happy vein, and in the course of his remarks stated that "we'are all : artists—in a sdnso." In his experience he had found that applicants'for all sorts, of things ; .were not wanting, and the president's appeal for assistance for a suitable gallery was natural, and had his .entire sympathy. The same appeal for assistance from other centres came as a matter of course, but asrogards the president, as; distinguished from other persons, while they asked for many things, Mr. Wardell never varied from his one request. In reply, he hoped that before Lady Islington returned to her home in the Old Conntry she would 600 in Wellington a new and suitable ■building ready to receive and properly house,the pictures and art_ treasures which'are now without a resting-placo.