NATIONAL GALLERY

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1426, 29 April 1912, Page 5

NATIONAL GALLERY

FUND EXCEEDS £2000. FURTHER FINE DONATIONS. The National Gallery picture fund begins the new week with a good .start towards the third of the .£5OOll that has to be raised to secure the City Council grant of j>looll, and the organisers of the campaign aro very hopeful that the full amount will be forthcoming in the lime .stipulated. Thu opening of the exhibition to the public has already had a very beneficial elfect on the fund, which is expected to increase rapidly as the scope and quality of thu pictures now on view become better understood and appreciated. On Saturday Mr. W. C Buchanan, M.t , ., purchased a picture for tho National Gallery at a cost ot 41350, by which generous donation the gallery in to be enriched by that largo and interesting painting by Henry Moore, K.A., entitled "Highland Pastures," a canvas which had already attracted the admiring attention of connoisseurs The. painting, which represents a broad expanse of typical Highland country, dot'ed with shaggy .sheep, is essentially a gallery picture, and is one that will always have a special attraction lor lovers of the spacious landscapes of "Caledonia stern and wild." The Wellington Savage Club has also shown a very commendable public spirit in connection with the National Gallery movement. It was suggested to the committee of the club that it would be finite in keeping with its aims and objects if an effort were made to pre-ent a picture to tho National Gallery, and the committee at once responded by voting 4)50 from the club's funds for the purpose. The choice of the club has fallen on a study by Oswald Birley, U. 0.1., called "Professor Smith," and visitors to the gallery, inspecting the picture, and remembering the institution that has. presented it, will no doubt endorse the appropriateness of tho selection. It typifies-Bohcniia as no other painting in the exhibition does. Thv action of the committee was announced at the opening korero of the season on Saturday evening by Savage M. Marks, the vice-president, in the chair. The Wellington Industrial Association has selected the picture which it wishes to present to the National Gallery, the choice falling on a charming water-colour by I'. Spenlove-Spenlove, I!.I., R. 0.1., entitled "A Grey Morning, the Jlaes, Holland." The price of this picture is .fclfl in excess of the amount previously voted bv the association (JCSO) and its-ilouatiim will therefore ho increased by that amount. • ■• ■

As the first selection of pictures for presentation to the National Gallery has been made, the council of the academy requests that all subscribers to the fund who have not yet sent in their contributions will kindly do so as early as possible to the secretary (Mr. J. D. Gray), 75 Grant Road. The donations to dale are.— £, s. d. Amount acknowledged 1611 1 .1 Mrs. Halley 0 10 t> Staff of Chapman, Skerrett, Wylie, and Tripp ', s (1 Mrs. .1. P. Perry 1 1 II W. I/ittlejohn and Son 5 fl II H. G. Smith 1 1 (I Dr. Mason :... 1 1 0 Mrs. O'Connor <. 1 1 0 .1. W. Stevenson .' (I 10 B Miss Belle Vallanco I 1 fi W. C. Buchanan (M.P. (picture) 351) 0 0 Wellington Industrial Association (picture), additional 10 0 0 J. D. Sievwright 1 1 fl R. B. Grange 1 1 0 W. C. Stephens 110 "Aquarelle" (second donation)... i i 0 Wellington Savago Club (picture) 50 0 0 £2014 19 3