THE BAILLIE PICTURES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1419, 22 April 1912, Page 4

THE BAILLIE PICTURES.

(By "Aquarelle.")'

"Good-bye, .Tack; d'on't forget us out here when you're starring it in Iho London studios." Siicli iras poor Jemmy .Nairn's farewell to Jack liaillio, when, m the compelling grips o f art, lio finally threw oil the shackles of business in Wellington, anil left for London soino liiteen years ago. (Just in passing, before beginning to enjoy th« pictorial treat, shortly to bo provided, let it not bo toiyotten tint what the art and nrliMs 0} the Dominion owe to the same Jemmv Aaii-n is mute beyond calculation:-) Anil Sir. John Bmllic, now of tlio ]3aiili e GalLoSo,, ' ld h l U f' Lomlon ' I,ns I,ot '■<»•- Rotten us out hove. In ready response l|.> .1 siiffgeshoji by the Council of the >>ew Zealand Academy of Fine Aits, he las gathered up nm l brought out to tlio Dominion what promises, judging from ho pictures whicfi have been so fa? unpacked, to bo as fine nml comprehensive a collection of examples of contemporary art as 0110 would ha lilccjv lo see httne countr J ' Ull ° '^" I(!f, i , - eVt 'n' t W tho Homo The suggestion of the _\cw Zealand Academy was that somo A'jOOO worth of selected pictures sUuuld bo. sent out, but Mr Baillio went one better' than (his, I"/] <iX Cule(l n ° h \" ig , mt SDli,B 00 " or X-10,000 worth, which are now being miwicked in (he Harbour Board's "U" filed. lon know it is the "V" filed because it says so outside; but once von Bet in you find yourself, not in tho homo oi woof, tallow, and flax, but iu an up-to-date art galh-rv, whero tho light, owing to a judgmatical arrangement of what a bagman would call "white goods" is nljsolntnly, perfect. It is divided into tliveo sections, intor-coinmmiicatiug bv doorways artistically lattice-loppod, whoso walls are distempered in soft "invisible" tones, the largest section being for oils, and the other two fer water-colour and black and white respectively. rjio pictures nre not nenrlT nil unpacked, and nono of them aro hung yet; but those ranged round tho walls and laid upon tlio floor make it quite clear that tho quality o{ tho work that has been selected from tho various studios is of the best that lenvcs tho artists' easels. For instance, one finds hero some most charming examples of tho svnipathetic sentiment of llr. Lee Hankey; there a verj; ii»e example ol Mr. Hushesotantoiws dignified treatment of landscape. There, again, is a. magnificent example of 3lr. ]{. W. Allen's marine landscaiw, and von find other canvases from the same delightful brush positively redolent of seaweed, and the pure ozone of the spa. A large squaro cam-as, in which strength, of drawing vies for distinction with compelling fascination of colour, needs no signature to tell you it conies from Mr. l'rauk Brangwyn's studio. Over there, again, is a certain large canvas from the easel of Mr. Melton Fisher, dealing with flowers and flower girls, which is sure to be one of tho popular favourites when tho exhibition opens. Mr. Arnesby Brown is there with inv inimitable group of calves; also work by Mr. G. Clausen; the characteristic plein air nudes of Mr. 11. S. Tuke; and Mr. Bertram Priestnmmi, who in recent years has come up to tho veryfront rank, is evidently represented by some of his very best work. Surely that is a Sir Joshua Reynolds over there? No, it bears tho signature of Mr. Mowat Loudan, and further on thero is another cxamplo .of his strong characterisation. Over there, again, is an altogether admirable example of the Into Mr. D. Farqufiarson's strong landscape, and a breezy seascape by tho late Mr. Colin Hunter. Sir Alfred East, Sir Ernest AVaterlow, Mr. James Patcrson, Jlr. Harold Knight, and a. score, more well-known names are thero, of whom some havo "arrived"; others coming quickly to the front. ; Tho collection comprises somo 450 pictures, representing, tho work of some 170 artists. The general principle which has guided Mr. Baillie, wire was assisted by Mr. G. Clausen, P.A., in tho choice of tho collection, appears to havo been evidence of strong personal individuality of design and execution, though it is pftteiit that dislike of tho conventional has not been carried to unreasonable excess.