THE PICTURES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1570, 14 October 1912, Page 6

THE PICTURES.

, REVIEW & SOME CRjTICISM. ' [COXTBI3ETED.I ' The exhibits this year, excluding etchings,'etc., are 239 m number—of these 128 are water-colours,, and 111 are examples in oils.'' Tho rejects have been very numerous, possibly for want of space. If thesd rejected efforts have all been doomed on the score of merit, they must be poor indeed, for thero are examples on tho "wall in the/ exhibition, and wen holding pride of place on tho coveted "line," that require a great deal of justification. .Allowing for a moment that want of space is the truo reason for expulsion, then surely there was ample room for the exercise of' a little self-sacrifice on tho part of those who havo occupied the full complement of space permissible , under the rules. The rejects aro in excess of former years. The question needing reply is: Does this mean decline in quality, or a higher standard?

, ' Eliminating tho two pictures presented. { by Mr,.J,.Duthie—of which.special men- , tion is made below—and the pictures lent ( for exhibition, the remainder as a whole , aro not of a high ■ standard—there aro •) exceptions possibly to this general state- j ment, and this will be found in the , tyater-colour section. Tho oils are in numerous instances crude, and sometimes ) harsh; in others, the drawing is not ( merely faulty, but wrong, arid is no help, ( but a misdirection to any student or j young and inexperienced artist. .. | We know, or are expected to know, ' that a new generation of painters' has , ftrown up to "inhabit tho Houso of Art." 1 J'o some the chief object l seems to be to • getas far away from tho old lockout .as ] possible—to look through completely 1 new iij their earnestness they Beo queer things and prospects.' Little-by : little there is a school of students and artists who seem indifferent. :to beauty.' Ugliness does not mean strength. ' Bold, . strong, free treatment':.is a,great, aim, but tho end.is to leave the impression, to awaken the.sense of beauty. The danger of missing the true function of art, its ennobling side is widespread, hence tho need of a word of warning. William Hazlitt said: "There is a pleasure in painting which none but painters' know." In writing, you have to contend with the world: in painting you have only to carry on a friendly strife*with Nature.' You sit down to your task, you are bappy —you areactuated by fear or favour of no man. . You try to set down'what you see—find out your,error and correct it. One is. never tired of painting, because you have to set down not what, you knew already, but what you have just discovered.-. Every-object becomes lustrous from ■ the" light thrown'bpek upon it by the mirTor of art. , Now, it is just this lack of lustre in tho majority, of the examples of. ivorlc now exhibited - that has prompted the' quotation froni Hazlitt. To work up to-one's standarfl is a golden rule, but be sure of that standard. ' The visitor to the Academy must form his or her own opinion as to how far tho exhibits come up to his or her critical standard of beauty or Miarm.' ' The Water Colours. As a; partial guide among ..the water Colours,'Nos. 38, 64, 74, 80, 87, 88, 94, 102, 112, 113, : 114 are all worth studying. These examples have each a definite point. Then, of another order—tho aestheticthere arc Nos. 28, G5, 73, 79, and 93. These are of 'a-standard of their own, and do not set such value on light and colour. The larger examples by constant contributors speak for themselves, but. for want of .Space attention can only be called to No. 64, "Sheep Washing" (Worsley). This is ii good'picture, and the mossing of tho foliagd and the stained walls are convincing as something real. - Among the drawings by Noel Barraud, No. 87, "A Sussex Roadway," is an attractive example. It is simple," direct and homelike. There is no crude mixing up of colour and contrasts that so often produces confusion in the mind of the observer and the student. No. 88, "A Ruined Doorway" (E. Hughes), is ,an instructive example of quite another order. Contrasts are of prims value—see the play of light on the distant building shining through tho setting of the -broken doorway. "A . Cornish. Farm," 1 No. 74,-by the same artist, is a good piece of work. There is the genuine local note-strong,, rugged, Cornish in-fact and expression. . ' ' , There are' a few of the water-colour exhibits that'deserve Special mention, but ' the intelligent visitor will distinguish and appreciate tbem without being a critic. There aro marked evidences of advance in the work of tho- joungei; g^itor&rfchfi

veterans will need to look to their laurels. Tho Work in Oils. Turning to the oil paintings in tho exhibition, one is struck with the poverty of tho' landscape work. It is difficult to acoount for this, but thoro is undoubtedly mhoh of tho crudeness attributablo to hasto in execution an'd want of accuracy

in drawing. An artist is quite free to adopt any stylo or any tone, but there must be a measure of accuracy. We are not yet bordering on "tho luturists"— there is no telling, what is coming in this age of progress. Thero may bo even a Marinetti about to nriso among 11s. Here is his view as expressed to a representative of "The Standard""People aro afraid of doing new and fino things, because tlioy ■ foar the laughter and ridiculo of others. I enre not what others may think or say. The man who conquers ridicule has already performed a work of genius. Courage is what is wanted in art, and I understand that courage is what is chiefly lacking in English art." Here at any rate thero is apparently no lack of courage. The point is thero should not bo any necessity to "explain" a' picture. The essence of Signor Marinetti's teaching is that he is (to use his own words) "for optimism—optimism all the time and nt any price." In fact, his optimism is so intense and tremendous that he believes in the future of Futurism.

Besides, Marinetti is a poet, young, vigorous, arid ready to fight for the cause. Thero aro sober-minded men, as the Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, who havo been heard to say "there is something in it." The want just now is the "explanation." However that may be, it has been said with much truth that "All art is a matter of wise falsifications," and we must take it that the wisest and most inevitable of these is a more than natural emphasis. hero and there throughout a picturo in support of the artist s intention in painting it. Criticism is not a pleasant task, but it is a public duty if art is to be one of the educational levers.

Good work should come to the annual exhibitions, and the aim of every artist should be to win space for his production within the coming National Gallery. It is no question of any particular cult or school—it has been well stated by tho well-known satirist that it takes thirty-

nine men to make an academician, but it requires but one man to make an artist. Thero is always room for that one man, but if we cannot have him, we want his work.

Thero are a proportionate number of portraits among the'works on exhibition, varying in style' and method of work. From the heavy masses of pigment in' some cases to tile lighter and . softer methods in others. No. 122, by K. M. Ballantyne, a portrait sketch, is a good piece of work, now, for the needed guidance at the critical stage, to produce an artist of high quality—time will do the rest. No. 148, "The Little Mother" (T. W. Smith), has much character. It is a living idea well expressed—quite a subject picture, but the poetry retained. Why this picture was skied is a question. No. 139, "Echo" (A. Elizabeth Kelly), is' in danger of being overlooked in contemplating other studies, but it should not be missed by those who are appreciative of good work. No. 159, "Light and Shadow;' (A. A. Schmidt) has good points, but the artist makes a.mistake in using jier brush "x" ways, as it .destroys the.'value of the light. Oils want different treatment— and where flesh tints are (Jbncerned, even

if the surface is not smooth, the crobstrack of the brush suggests tattooing. No. 152, "A, Berlin Market Woman," is a very strong specimen, both the woman and tho manner. There is much paint fearlessly laid on. The proper effects need distance. No. 169, "Caprice in Coral and Gray" (A. E. Kelly), is a clever, sketch, and suggests the lines and idea of a good picture. The impression left on the mind being tlint tho artist's real strength is in reserve. No. 175; "La. Jeunesse" ,'M. E. It. Tripe), is a. finished piece of work, and has tho qualities that justify the title. No. 18G, "The Broken Imago" (11. Surge), cannot fail to attract many visitors to the gallery. This artist has mado great advance, and this pietio of work is quite above the average. The face'of,, tho, old devotee is finely,painted, i'ou can there read pathos, feeling, hope, resignation, poverty, and yet contentment, in spite of life's surges. The broken image is the climax—which, might bo a substitute title for the picture. •

Mr. Duthie's Presented Pictures. No. 190 (one of the pictures presented to the National Gallery by' John Duthie, Esq.), "Portrait of Wilkie Collinses Mother, is simply and altogether a'gem. It would be interesting to know whether Mar"aret Cooper, the artist, was chosen by William Collins, K.A., to paint this portrait of his wife. At any rate, the picture is a beautiful piece , oi work, finished as pictures were finished under the hand of an artist. This portrait is a great addition to the art collection for the National Gallery, and the public aro much indebted to the donor. The portrait cannot fail to impress one with the thought that here was a person wKom it was a privilege to know, sympathy, affection, wisdom, kindliness; experience are all expressed, and over ah there is a shimmer of joyous pride not unmixed with gratitude. This picture lives. Prom the artistic point bf view, note: Nothing tlmt is essential to the composition of tho picture is omitted. The treatment is broad, the colouring is carefully considered in relation to the eyes and completion, the flesh tints warm, and the whole picture is lustrous. Deep shadowy background and admirable observance of detail—from head dress to the boots. Note the transparency of tho flesh tints. Two tilings are necessaTy for the production of such work: First, tho sound teaching of truo principles; and second, the .close alliance of those principles to individual temperament and hard work. ' No. 137,"The StrayedoPrincess (another picturo presented by' Mr. Duthie), by George AVetherbee, is a characteristic work of' this artist who may be better known in his pictures, "A Pensivo Shepherd," and "Hark; Hark, the Lark," painted in' 1905, and "Philis," painted in 1907. all of which hung in the National Gallery of those years. The artist has the poetic mood and idealises the pastoral scenes. "The Strayed Princess" is one of those pictures that open out to you as you study it. The feature of tho work is the way the artist has produced the effect of morning light. The sun has not yet appeared above the horizon) the ii"ht is a cold light, though it is bright. The coming warmth is cleverly suggested in the glow on. the headland on the left of the .picture. Only the lambs are awake,, the sheep are still resting. The ! theme is-poetic, the setting is naturally pastoral. This picture is full of suggestion and meaning. The artist is fond of field flowers and the crocus has been chosen bv him in this case, with a purpose. The National Gallery is further enriched by this gift. Some Other Pictures. No. 105, "Portrait of a Young Frenchman," by M. Burge, is a fine piece of work and helps to show the.progress in tho artist's study. The drawing of tho hand is good, and how rare it is to find tho necessarv care bestowed. No.. 23G, "Portrait," by Mrs. H. P. Leighton M'Neil, is badly hung and scant justice

is done to this artist's work. The colouring is a test of values, difficult to har. monise, but there aro good points. No. 238, "Slopes of the M'Kenzie' (Howorth) is in this artist's well-known style; but with such an opportunity for an effective foreground, why is it shirked. Foregrounds must have - details—there is no room for imagination because ferns or bracken'or what not are facts. The Etchings, Etc. The collection of etchings is an inter- : csting' one,-but there is no justification for sandwiching some of these among the

oils. They should have been either on a screen in the centre of the hall or a separate room should have been found for them. This would have given more available space and led to the promotion of some ot the "rejects."

In concluding this notice of the 1912 exhibition, the following quotation may prove not inapt:—"An nrtistic idea, or n group of ideals must always be broken gently to people, because the acceptance of them necessitates the swallowing of words. When the golden ladders are let down from heaven by poets, artists, or critics even, or new spirits are hovering in the intellectual empyrean, the patriarch public snoring on its stone pillow wakes up: but he will not wrestle with the angel."