TOLERANCE IN ART.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1426, 29 April 1912, Page 6

TOLERANCE IN ART.

MR. BAILLIE'S APPEAL, ■srADjo :\t TiiK sAVAcr: cr.ns. At the Savage Club on Saturday evening, tho Chief Savage for the evening, ill - .' Marcus Marks, tnok occasion lo remind members that the constitution ol the club set forth that one of its objects was to'foster and cncoura','e all forms nl nrf. it had been suggested that the club should donate a picture lo the .National Gallery, and they had received a letter making ouch a request from the secretary of the committee i.Mr. I). Gray). The committee had met and considered the matter in all its bearings, and had decided to vote; the sum of .i'.'iU from its funds fur a picture. (Applause.) With the a-sistunoe of T.iiilay Hichard-on, K.H..A., !•). A. S. Killick, and Charles Wilson, they had decided nn a picture entitled "I'rofes-or Smith," the subject of which would, he felt sure, make a special appeal to all true Savages. If members approved of what the committee had douche hoped they would show it by acclamation. Loud and prolonged applause was the answer. Savage .Marks then explained that the picture would have an inscription on the frame which would testify to their children nml grandchildren how generous thei-." fathers hud beuii. (Laughter and applause.) Savage H. M. ("lore, president of the New Zealand Academy of Vine Arts, expressed himself as being delighted at the generosity of tin; club. To find such a ' ready response, gave them strength and encouragement to go forward. The picture which had been purchased by Ihe club for, (he National Gallery would, he felt sure, be a source of pride and picasure to oncoming ages of Savages. (Applause.) Later in the evening. Mr. John llaillie, of. London, was introduced to'ihe ehib, and in I hanking members for Iheir welcome stated thai he wa- glad to see so many of his old friends again, it he could not remember all their names they must forgive him, a* ho had been away from Wellington for fifteen years, which was a cut out of a mauV life. Jfo told of his early struggles along the artistic way in London; of his inability to paint the thing that was wanted rather than wlint he desired to paint, and tinally of his determination to become an artists' agent in London. He commenced in a very humble lvuv at first , —a long way from Bond Street." One of his firstrises was through the medium of a halfcrown art union, which was quite successful. On that occasion, one of the best pictures was won by a friend from whom he bought it, and subsequently sold it for four time-; what he had given fur it to Mr. George of the London Gaiety. Gradually he became known and trusted, and, with the assistances of the press, which (without his having any iuiluence whatever) had alwavs been very kind to him. He had had a long experience noiv of pictures, and buyers of pictures, and he made an appeal to those present for greater tolerance in respect to matters of art. Some people had already said that there was a good deal of rubbish in his collection—people ■intolerant.of the lirodorn iii art. jlioulil'Voiiieiiiber- that all the great artists were moderns once,' and that artists such as Corot, Whistler, and others who could be mentioned, were once laughed at as "too ali- . surd for anything." "Jlr. liaillie drew a distinction' between the. real "artist *and the.-painteiv The pa'intei—and there were many of quite 'exceptional 'talent— generally "painted thab which he deemed was popular and likely to sell. The artist painted what impulse told he must paint irrespective of whether it pleased others or not. He was creative. So it was when one saw a picture. People must not iiuogine thiit that picture was painted for them aloue. It was very nice to be able to paint a picture which charmed everyone at once, but there were other good pictures which might not please one, but yet may make an apptnl to others to sr.c'.i an'extent that they desired to possess it. it was. after all, the public who made the artist, and it was the public who verv often had in the pnst killed good artists by inUdcnuice. Unfortunately, perhaps, at Home (here was rr.tlicr too liiuch tolerance. There had been so many mistakes made in the past that people were chary about condemning anylu concluding his remarks, Air. liaillie stated the club hud got a bargain in Oswald Hirley's picture "Professor Smith," which lie was sure they would •all appreciate. Oswald Birle.v was, he believed, born in Auckland, ami was certainly one of the most promising of the younger artists who were making their way to the front. His work was m demand, and the chances were that the gallery would have to pay double the price "for such a pictufo a year hence. (Applause.) .