ART NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1843, 1 September 1913, Page 9

ART NOTES.

MISS FRANCES HODGKINS'S WATER-COLOURS.

[By the Lay Figure.]

In Messrs. Turnbull's gallery, in Panama Street, there' is at present to bo seen a collection of water-colour paintings in w'liich there arc many and most pleasant elements of novelty. Miss Frances Hodgkins, the painter of tlieso pictures, is a Now Zealand lady, the daughter of a New Zealand artist, who, in fits day, did some exceedingly fine work. Miss Hodgkins returns to Now Zealand after ten or twelvo years spent mainly in Paris, whero she has won for herself a position of undoubted eminence and honour. /That position is admitted by Froneh painters and French critics of tho 'highest standard. To havo been honoured by admission to the exclusive circle, the French Society of Water-Colour Painters; to have had her work specially selected for exhibition by a man of such European fame as Gaston de 'la Touche; to have been hung "on tho line" at t'he Salon; to havo been a frequent exhibitor at tho "International," tho New English Art Club, and similar shows, whore originality of subject, courage of treatment, end distinction of stvle are imperative upon exhibitors —all these things constitute a signal triubto to Miss Hodgkins's talents. An Impressionist. Miss Hodgkins's work is specially representative of tho Impressionist school, tho school in which Manert was the first and most famous figure, the school of Jongkind, and Boudin, of Claude Monet. Sisloy, Cezanne, Berth© Morisset-, and otlhors whose work, once so despised by tho strictly "Academic" school, is now recognised as the o.no all-dominant influence in not only French but European art generally. Speaking generally —strict definitions are difficult and odious—lmpressionism stands for "character" in art, rather, than mere conventional beauty, for sincerity, courage, and truth, arid above all for action and light. Colour to tho Impressionist is more than the'most impeccable drawing. Tho Impressionist does not contemn good drawing—often lie has a fine quality of but colour is tho main thing. Hero in these pictures of Miss Hodgkins local art lovors havo at last an opportunity of seeing what Impressionism at its best and' sanest really is. And in this way alonso this exhibition' is a weleomo ob-ject-lesson. It may not—it will certainly not in my own humble case — drive us <J» "scrap heap" our small pictorial-treasures .in which older, nioro conservative methods - aro evidenced ; for in the palaco of art there aro many rooms. But an hour or so spent in contemplation and study of these pictures may modify people's views on modern art and tend to a deeper, wiser comprehension of a stylo of art often misrepresented, and, through lack of opportunity for studying its principles, often misunderstood. Paris and tho Seine. Whore there, is so much to admire— plus,, lis I haw said, for some of us, not jy littlo to surprise—selection of even two or tlireo favourites is a task of somo difficulty. But for old time's sake, for the 'sake of the far away, but blissfully to bo remembered days, when the "Lay Figure" himself was of the "Quartier," and crossed regularly, morning and evening, tlio historio Pont Ncuf on his way to a dingy office in another "quarter," my vote shall go to tho Parisian subjects, notably to tho two smaller "quai" scones, an the end wall. Theso are tho "real" Paris, the Paris of Seine side, Paris, so. I. should vsayV'-in. spring-time, \vith a grey and blue-flecked sky. There is a gay audacity in tlieso •two sketches .Which I find most alluring. They are in truly Impressionist style, the stylo of Monet, redolent of that painter's famous "'process of dolour sp'ots" (procede do la tacbo), tho same process which you. find in most of Pissaro's pictures. It is notably present in Pissaro's "Boulevard do Mont- | martro," one of the finest things in tho Melbourne Art Gallery. Either, of these pictures would be a delightful possession. A larger Parisian study, showing one of the numerous public baths which border tho Seine, may bb. found by some just a trifle vehement—oven violent-—in its sky effect. _ But the general effect simply exudes individuality. Note, too,> the interesting. contrast of . the 'green sheds against the buildings'' at the back—littlo dash of gToen serves aij ad» mirable purpose in subduing any gnrishness in the lighting. In all three "thcro is.an excellent, aerial perspective. Figure Studies. The two most challenging—l coin tho adjective, faute do mieux—pictures in the show aro tho two figure studies, "The Hilltop" and "April." A most captivating air of "breezinoss" pervades theso two pictures. In the "Hilltop" thero is a suggestion of Furze's famous picturo, but far less stiffness. Miss Hodgkins has fairly let herself go in theso two pictures in tho way of col- ■ our, and the light is, in ono, positively scintillating. I dou't think that Miss Hodgkins horsclf would claim that drawing is her strongest point. . She is par excollence a colourist. But in both these pictures thero is an admirable line, and in ono tho swing of the body before tho wind is specially good. The sky effects are as bold and swirly as m ono of Eugene Boudin's famous pictures of tho Normandy plages ho so loved to paint. Either of these paintings—l prefer "Tho Hilltop"—would bo s notablo and most desirable acquisition. to o.tir pormanent gallery; Tho artist's versatility is agreeably displayed m "The Mother and Child," a picturo most gracefully exponent of maternal tenderness; in "The Caress," and "Tho .Child at the Window"; and, again, in a quite different game, two pictures near tho end of the long wall. In one, "The Sleepers," I think' is. the title, j there is, again, a most charming lino, and the senso of reposefulness in the subject is reflected in tho quiet distinction of the painting. It recalls a picture by Berthe Morisott, which I saw at Durand Ruol's gallery in Paris somo years ago. With what ease Miss Hodgkins can vary her style, or, perhaps, I should say, with what courage she can ' essay a quite different point of view, you shall see when you turn, cither from the two pictures just mentioned or from the child studies, to tho daring, or, as somo may oonsider it, quite blatant extreme Impressionism of "In a Cafe Garden," to be found just insido tho door, on the right-hand side. Hero is a picture which is clamant for distance. At first sight it seems to cmburly an artistic arrogance, a deliberate setting out to' epater les Philistines —to "knock you." But reserve your judgment. Make a leisurely backward movoment, and behold, out of apparent chaos is ovolved a singularly fascinating harmony, not only of cftlour, but of design. Not a picture for a small room, assuredly not a picture to hang beside drawings by—well, never mind the names —but in its own way a work of a fascination as undoniable as is its strength. In another figure, on the opposite—tho long wall —1 seem to detect a certain Post-Impressionist influence. There is one lady at least who is of tho school of Cezanne and Matisse—i 3 that not so, Miss Hodgkins? And Somo Others. Like so ntany other artists, Miss Hodgkins has fallen under tlio' spell of Concarwau, which is to the French artist what St. Ives is to his British brother. In the Concarneati studios, Miss Hodgkins shows a lino fervour of execution, some attractive . colour schomes, and, in particular, a most sucocssful expression of light, or, aa I

should say, combinations of light. All theso drawings or pictures have been, I should say, plcin air work—work painted; directly from naturo and not toned up, amplified by meticulous studio filling-in and blotting-out. There is a viviility, 1 a compelling sincerity about them which is tho best tribute to their directness. Miss Hodgkins does not greatly favour "intimate" studies, or "interiors," but in "Tho Dejeuner" sho glives us a tasto of what she can do in the difficult field 1 of "still life." Noto tiio air of dclicato fragility in tho glasswaire. The noto of green, in tho long tumbler, and tho touch of ruby in the wine, eaoh serves its own good purpose ill the composition, Hero again is a picture which 1 should vastly like to seo in tho permanent collection. For the "Black Scarf" I do not caro very much, and "Normandy Pippins" is another instanco of less successful achievement. 1 prefer Miss Hodgkins in her landscape and topographical studies. Thcro is a calm dignity,- if, perhaps, a slight coldness, in tho Grande Place sce.no at Montreuil-sur-Mer, and a noble Dordrecht, with tho inevitable tower, so familiar, and yet so picturesque, a feature as to bo ever welcome, is also worth a leisurely > inspection. Also "there are others," as tho "vaudeville" advertisements put it. But spaco is up, and I must stop. By all means let local lovers of good art make a point of -visiting; this exceptionally interesting and, as it will be to many of us, instructive exhibition. Miss Hodgkins may not con verb all of us,_ but there will bo many who like myself will find therein much food for thought, and a compelling influence towards the rovision of long-held ideas in art.