THE BAILLIE COLLECTION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1419, 22 April 1912, Page 9

THE BAILLIE COLLECTION.

IN THE "U" SHED. One cannot doubt but that "Wellington people, and. not only Wellington but ]icopls from all over the Dominion, will appreciate and gladly make the most of the great opportunity which Mr. Baillis is placing before them of seeing something of the achievements of artists on the other sido of the world. Great sing-

ers wo have hod among us, great musicians, great actors, and for a few hours we haye had forgotten tho prosaic world in which we live, and have been shown and have felt greater things by tho magic of their genius, then we had over dreamt of in tho ordinary round of life. Of art nnd artists, however, we have, in comparison, seen lameutably little, partly owing to our isolation and partly owing to the fact that we are so young a nation, and for that reason so full of moro obvious things. In any case, however, the love of beauty is inherent in everyone, am! for that reason people will find that they cannot see too much of the pictures which loyalty to his native town has induced Mr. Baillie to bring to Wellington, so that they may have the first opportunity of acquiring such paintings as they like bost, to form the nucleus of a A'aHonalArt Gallery in Xew Zealand. Tho "U" Shed has already in its brief life experienced extreme contrasts. Prom housing an exhibition of tho staple industries of tho Dominion to. being the temporary homo of tho works of artists who have achieved naino and pjaoe for themselves in tho older world is a somewhat startling change, and yet it is apparently answering the latter purpose admirably. Necessarily great transformations have taken place, one of the greatest being in regard to the light, for which special arrangements hnvp been made, so that it falls softly and clearly upon tho pictures. The whole of the central space of the shed, running from end to end, has been enclosed and divided, into three compartments opening into one another. Tlio first, into which one enters direct from the entrance, is green

in colouring, a somewhat bright green, thai make, mi ndiniraliiu background for Hi« bliu'k and whih- \n>rk with which its walls will alone Iw hung. The next compartment, win-inly vomj gi-py in colour, is much lnrgor, and is to lie devoted lo the oil p:tiniiii»«, whilo tli» third of a much paler >li-ade of rose grey will !)!• given up to tin- water colours. JCvcryilinijf -lius k-wi i,,a-t <-.irefii!lr thought out by Mr. Jlaillw, with every regard tor the right ollocl. At the rear end of lli<- shed (though shed is the last thing one would call it when inside the gallery), space has been left for a public tea-room just outside the wafer-colours room, and yet another tea-room, which -may bo engaged at a moderate sum for private parties is to bo found further on at the, sido of the, building. Ono can imagine that either will bo gladly seized upon by the. picture gazers when an interval of rest and time for discussion with their friends upon all they havo seen is needed, and there can be but little doubt but that very many delightful afternoons will bo spent that way. As for thu pictures themselvos, what can bo said of them savo that there are some very beautiful things to be seen there? It is probably one of tho most representative collections that could be found anywhere, and most catholic in its appeals to people. The lover of Beascape, landscape, portraits, animals, and black-and-whito work—each and all will find their own treasure trovo. Not even the children are forgotten, for. there n.ro some delightful specimens of Afcthur Rackham's work and of others who make, the things that most appeal to children their own especial work. There aro pictures there—fairy picture stories—that are infinitely more engrossing than any telling of them could possibly be, and it will be strango if some of them do not find a permanent homo here.

One can well imagine that the artists and art students of Wellington will simply haunt this place, and equally likely is it that others who can lay no claim to being either will experience the irresistible fascination of it. It is only the artist who can appreciate- the misty distance of blue hills that seem to promise a vision of tho land "that lies east of the sun and west of the moon," tho glimmer of sunshine through the leaves of the trees and on the grass of the upland meadows, or the sense of spaciousness and the vividness of colouring of a glimpse of Cornish coast line? At any rate opportunity has come to Wellington with both hands richly laden, and it is unbelievable that its people will not seize it eagerly if only because of its past -neglect.