"THE SHINING PATHWAY."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1465, 13 June 1912, Page 9

"THE SHINING PATHWAY."

- NOTABLE PAINT]SG BY'GEO; E, BUTLKU. [liv Syi.vtus.] Mr.. : G. I'. .Jliinii-, ilirecfbr of -tho. National Art Gallery of New tjciiitli ■ Wales, in dei'ryiiig 'the- -fact, when in u clliiigtpn, thiit bii'r bes.t artists sooner bM.ater iea.ve ojir .slibres..attributed, '.tlioir action to a lack of ■ap'pre.cj'n.tfp'ii, of good ' work :on- tho part- of the. public, and to . ba.ck lip his arg-iini.e : nt jns.tan.ce'd a : nii.ni.---: . ber of artists who had left Australia and ■ Nov,: : Zealaiul, '.nhd .a.chie.ye.'d it .good, measure of. success- abroad. In a few ■;i.hstnii'cc?s _|VQ 'lii.aj,;- -Jiiiyp' been correct, but ■ broadly iiis"thesis'.'.is: out of joint, it is wit bccause. good work is.' hot appre-i oia'.etl that the majority of ..our pr.on'iis- | itig- arlists 'have :gpne-'. to Ivngla'nd;; or Kiupp'e—l r.n'i sure that the works of . •iaiiies X-. Nairn, Gulsv, Goldie, .'Sydney'. Thompson, Proctor, Worsley; and (others: . -Uiiy.q-.been: ap;)re.ciatei!-. The' lii-fist goes iiw-ay beea'uM! tile mitl'Hik here is cireum T :.-scribed;'' the cmiiitry oilers its. lakes, bush, lush iiK'adtr.vs., and tlie everla-ting; llilh—and what' cl.-e ? - The .'great pictiujes'. of the world are not as. a rule paintings of sceneiy, though many --artists have achieved faille in that phase of art. If. for instance,/ a genius. pai.nt«i. Mt. Cook .'.;or.'Milford 'Sound, it: Is /iLxtro'iiYely .tlou^tT' i'ul if. the ra.-iilt would ' be- considered '.beside... tllo iiiispired . .Qpii'ceptions'yofri'-'ltui" 1 ■ beiis; "£V)r.rcgE[io,. "3011.oi,si'"^'i , '>V I*,Vpk'E.porp,t, l.eifjliton; w othfr great artists; iind. so, having ,)iain'.ed lier iakes,. mountains, :fyd :oceiiii strands', our.artists leave New Zealand to catch tlie spirit, with' which the environment of the ..artistic', ■'charged; Tjie great 'gallerios-,-'; llic ' : old ■cathedriils; castlcs v ;.auil: abbeys, wihi. ■ tlici u;. cllrnigii,m-iceless?-.tr«hsi'ij-es6f'Vi r ing peoples and myriad lcpiuK .-ahiraled with tlie cliarni ypndei:^'pi;kiiig;ihisf :tories," have in tli.eir ibei.iifj--.. sotiiywhci'e somehow- the power of inspiralion. . , - One. who has-fouilit, struggled,, and, : lio doubt; s'-ilieied to conie thro 1 igh suc-: -cessfully taiid who, by the way, was included in Jlr, M-uin's list) .is .Mr. -Geprge-. .K. .Rutier, . soil oi Mr. WelUi%tpm ; i : ..he Svas reeogiiisefr iierey :fiiie '(.(i'aiiglits- : ; a fine/giit lar.scii scape painting. Long-i'sinc'e^ 'i.nkeii/on a.'iiew sikiiitiliec,fniit!,!.broi'.don-;.: iiiitf i^ e 'perauient* lias 1 assisted:;.: luni;.to:. ;.CGr.ceive ;; /. :Ijast : !lyear i; i-A'fiasemy^d<¥PPt^''hjs^'GQidie± '.aii.d,. later.::in;v t]ie. yeai::'. t!ie:;..!iiucli /nic.ro. ex'^Uisiw.^ns\'.;Saloni.flbcepted';;tlie:i; i f liaiiitihgt The sauio yeiir " Kosebuds" (a. portrait'jri'cup) also found, a-plate, on. the. . lino at •.h.e...1!y.va1. Academy. Now news .has :';bceu ;i;eeeivc(l that. tlie.. lioyalsAcadeiny lias: iaccbpied' ti •Mr. Butler',' entitlpd'.'"i'he. S.hiiui:!;" Pathway." Judged Hy a ph-.)togra'plv, ..Mr. Hnl,ler.hai painted a-pictiue that fhouhi epnsiderablv 'enhanco the value of his work. There may bu thoi-a who will cavil at what m;i"ht'Vba.;ciiisAd?%sv{^ -.iheatrical treatment,.ap.irt from its line-technique; '.thero'-'jis'/'thatjin 1 it.- which ■commands;! tlidV attention, aud admiration. 'IThb:.Shining 1 ; •Pathway" is that-stretch' of golden gic/ry, iha't blretckcs from' the setting sun,-, where. : sky/aud .in'StheW perspec.tivfc'to-5 wards.'a group of children cscons?d in a sandy nook pi . tho ocean's rim (in'.the [.foreground); pictures in a .fire,, tho children and- the .;p'no : - , Lad'iilt^a'f-woman'' J fee';' miraga-.like,. outlined- in the golden liiizo Ihe. shadowy •form o£ Christ, Wlu> : ;'said-:'/SiifFoi'i littl<y :chililren. to::eoine : iinto; ,nnvag<w-all ' savO' .'i cliju'iniiigs'- .' ot: ;babies'Mafr(lJiirominently'Jiii' v y;d .'vTK^r°^?re 'fi j[teexi""iiiju"i-os 'Su happy is i ;tho:..c.ohinbsitioii ; ; is "noVsiispicion of. ■.oyererpwdiiig:f^The.idrawing:;cf^ aiid ..the disposition o: the light are-alike i admirable: The. sabjict ier.ds itself t-5' a unique scheme.in colour, but of that the photograph toils us nothing. "■ "'v' ;