POINTS FOR PAINTERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1449, 25 May 1912, Page 6

POINTS FOR PAINTERS.

A WORD FOR THE ZOO. Sir,-A tow days ago I looked at the collection of pictures that Mr. Bftillio hae brought to our notice. Since then I havo been wondering why ho did not bring eome good pictures of animals. But I will not stay to complain i grumblers are too numerous in Wellington already; any increase of such is undesirable. But tho incompleteness of Mr. Uaillio's collection may be urged as a reason why, if the city corporation would help to muta a picture gallery worthy of New Zealand, wealthy citizens should be asked to commission some promising young Novr Zealand artist to paint a picture worthy at the youth of this modern Athens, a picture worthy df the New Zealand Dominion Art Gallon , , nnd worthy of tho Wellington Zoo.' Let English artists paint euch pictures as "Tho Card-players,"' and Australians buy them; New Zealand should purchase some of tho beautiful ecenie pictures Mr. Baillio has brought; nnd then, finding in,Nowtown Park a subject mere worthy of tho attention of the aspiring youth of a progressive young State, offer XiOOO for a good picture of tho world as represented by animals living in Die Newtown Zoo in 1912. Dividing the world into sis principal parts, from our jwint of view, Europe, Asia, Afriea, America, Australia, and New Zealand, wo havo Now Zealand lending the world, with tho tuntara, ths earliest of all living animals, and in addition to tho hintarn, tho kiwi, and the black swan, which at ono time all naturalists regarded as being as fictitious as a , blue moon. Europe is represented by the white swans, tho mallard, the berniclo geose, and tho brown, bear. Asia is represented by tho thar, the axis deer, tho sambur doer, the macaque aud rhesus monkeys, the mandarin ducks, ami the golden and the silver pheasant:-. Africa is represented by the ostriches, the lion, tho leopard, tho camel, and the vcrvot monkeys. Aniorica is represented by the rhea, tho macaws, tho sapajou monkeys, and the marmosets: and Australia 'is represented by the emus, the wallabies, a splendid pair of rufous kangaroos, and choice assemblages of siiowT cockatoos and beautiful parrakeets. The "Wellington City Corporation Us placed in Newtown Park a collection of living models beautiful enough to awaken tho soul of genius in any genuine artist, and although hero and there a well-mean-inK, but ignorant, miserable, misamnropio ratonaver, like the vanishing dingo .that would'detain the night, howls at the rismtf sun, educated Australians arci Mlnig representatives of New Zealand tlmt >ew Zealand leads tho world, and aro hinniiß (hat Wellington must bolho modern Uhens. Tlw Wellington City Coiiuci i« a body of strong men, who will not allow any irresponsible body to usurp the position of the council; but, being strong, does not consider it infra dig to accept advice from any source, whether it be a newspaper editor or a Zoological Socioh, Now the way is open, and tho opportunity, is at hand, for some worthy citizen to bring to view some genius thnt shall malso Wellington's young Zoo live for ever, nnd hold for over in remembrance tho glowing gWv'of somo rising artist, upon a cam-as fit to be the centre picture of tho now gallery or art, which is to be one of the greatest attractions in a young btate that should try to emulate ami mill ancient Greece. An offer of ~£2OO for the best picture of tho mandarin ducks and tho fountain in the Zoo should be sufl; cient to indicate who is our best [iitibl, and to that artist some citizen or other wealthy person who has made his money * n Nw Sand should pw a commiMon to mint for the Dominion Art ; Gmmy a picture in which should be ideally «r----ranged, to represent by trw. the animals in our Zoo, the world nh its several parts represented as they nio '■enresented in the Wellington Zoo at Us Etaw of its growth and development. Of courV he artist would find.iii the urwri« numerous emall beautiful birds for dewralive pur P osc,.-I • Pres. of tho Wellington Zoological Society.