THE ART EXHIBITION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2339, 22 December 1914, Page 7

THE ART EXHIBITION

THE WATER-COLOURS (Notes dy the "Lay Figure.") Miss M. O. Stoddart's contributions this year are somewhat disappointing. Granted their consistently felicitous design, their often charming colour sohemes, is not there in this clevor ar-

tist's work an increasing tendency to achieve attractive effect at the expense of Nature? That purply blue in the water in No.. 78, "The White Boat, Heathcoto River," and the distressingly obstrusive pink, in the water in No. 84, "The River Bed," are cases in point. As for the skies and the clouds in No. 74, "Aoross the Plains," and No. 48, "Flying Clouds," they aro not the skios and clouds of New Zealand. In the larger picture, No. 88, "Tho Old Orchard, Cashmere," thore is a provoking effect of "wooliness," and oven Miss Stoddart's flower study this year, No. 1151, "Roses,!' strikes me as below tliis artist's usual standard. Her one wholly satisfactory drawing is tho sand dunes scene, No. 63, "Among the Sandhills," in ever}' way a restful, completely charming production, promptly snapped up by some discerning buyer. Miss D. K. Richmond should be, and I hare no doubt ha? been, warmly congratulated upon the versatility and quite outstanding merit displayed in at least three of her fine drawings this .year. I oannot recolleot seeing a finer bit of portraiture by a Wellington artist than No. 76, "Portrait of Miss Helen Newton." Here thero is clearly a clever discernment and realisation of character. Technique and colour are alike excellent. A picture of real distinction. _ The study of "Gum Trees," No. 32, is in a quite different genre, another forceful and courageous effojfc. Split light—l am not sure as to the exact accuraoy of the term, but artists will know what I mean—is always difficult to reproduce, but Miss Richmond has gone mightily near to full success. The figure at the foot of the trees is, however, to my fancy at least, obtrusive. But tho picture is fairly flooded with a. sunshine one can almost feel. The cooler colours of early morning pervade the sketch of Wellington harbour, No. 15, "Morning, York Bay." "A study of Anenomes," No. 49, is a delightful piece of flower painting, but No. 114, "Cypresses, Nelson," is 'ess successful. Mr. C. N. Worsley iB seen at his best this year in his London street scene, No. 120, "Holborn Circus." Hero the artist is most successful in conveying the true sensations of the scene, tho hurrying pedestrians and crowding vehicles, whilst both in the mistiness of tho foreground and tho glow of dying sunlight on the high buildings on the riglit, tho artist shows a clever appreciation of atmospheric values. In 'the large picture of "Trafalgar Square," No. 41, with the National Gallery to the left and St. Martin's Church loom-

ing up through a hazy background, the interest is somewhat tepid. Topographically, architecturally correct, tho picture may be, but it seems to lc-ck vitality. 'Mr. Worsley's two Italian scenes, Nos. 98, "Sorrento," and 111, "On' the Shores of Lake Como," are both terribly hard. The Como scene is really the worst thing this artist has ever sent here, and should never have been hung. The large landscape, No. 75, "Waning Summer, Sussex," suffers from an excess of uninteresting foreground, and in "A Sussex Homestead," No._ 113, the wator has the ofiisct of falling down very suddenly in the left_ corner. No. 108 "Bridgnorth, Shropshire," is, on the other hand, an excellent picture, both as to technical essentials and in its quiet, restful charm as a composition generally. Mr. Owen Merton sends ono really good drawing, No. 61, "Morning, St. Ives," full of sunshine and conveying a fino sense of animation, really one of the gayest and most fascinating little pictures this artist has shown here for the last three or four years. But Mr. Merton should not have sent such trivial and careless sketches as his "Mackerel Boats, St. Ives No. 1" (wrongly attributed in the catalogue to Mr. C. F. Kelly); his "Old House, Fontarabia," devoid of any problem or indeed interest of any kind, and the smudgy and soamped landscape bit, No. 125, "Autumn Morning. Pyrenees!" Nor should these sketches ever have been accepted and hung. Mrs. J. A. Hannah shows some really good work in her favourite medium of pastel. Her best contributions' are No.

72, the portrait of an old lady, which is an admirable exposition of the broad, virile effect which properly bandied pastel can produce; No. 37, "Kathleen," a fascinating study of a child; and the boldly-drawn Nude Study, No. 50. In all three pictures thore is evidence of courageous and sound oraftsmanship, both as to drawing and colour. Two exceptionally fine portrait studies are hung on the north wall in .this section. These aro No. 11, "Portrait of Airs. Tudor Atkinson," by an English artist, Agnes Cohen, and No. 19, "Mr. Walter Johnson," by Mr. Bowring, who in this dolicatelv'handled and eminently artistic study shows the best portraiture work I can remember him exhibiting hero. Mr. Bowring proves his versatility by his two sparkling little studies of light and shade, Nos. 94 and 102, scenes on tho Heretaunga Golf Links. Ho is not afraid of colour and in these two modest but capital little sketches he shows ho can handle it courageously and well. Mr. Bowring will, I. trust, give us many moro such studies in future.

Mr. A. W. Walsh, formerly of Christchurch, but now of- Auckland, sends somo marine studies, all conceived and executed according tp frhat is now, apparently, an established convention with this artist. In their lack of atmosphere and general hardness they are somewhat disappointing. Mr. Walsh should give harbour scenes a rest, and get back to the bush scenes of his older style.

Air. Nugent Welch, for whose work so many of us have learned to look with pleasurable anticipation, sonde six pictures, tho two best being the delightful "Low Tide," No. 40, a variation of the theme represented in an equally charming drawing exhibited at Cbristchurch last year; and No. 93, "Summer Sunshino," in which some farm labourers are seen resting under tho shadows of two hayricks. This is a very folicitous rendering of light and shade; ono of the best things Mr. Welch has ever done. In No. 71, "Evening, Wellington," the bizarre clfect of the clouds —absurdly suggestive of a terrier's head—is to be regretted, and in No. 87 "Papatoetoe, Auckland," tho great stretch of uninteresting foreground, and the "crocodile" elic-ct of the long line of low trees aro again injurious to tho general cffect.

Mr. Litiloy .Richardson's studies of little children are very charming. No. 0, "The Morning Walk," is a little gem. "The Doll's Uath," No. 17, is another study of ohildron, this time in monochrome. Mr. Richardson also contributes a daringly gay bit of colour, "KeHectious, tho Boat Harbour," No. 95, in which the moted 6unshino is

ably managed; Some interesting, if not specially notable work, is contributed by Mrs. C. SawtclL 15 M. Mundy, J. Jialfour. W. T. Wauchop, and Jilabel Hill. The latter sends a vividly-col-oured sunset scene, No. 129, and a charming portrait study, No. 10. Miss leaver's "Vashti," No. 81, shows an

improvement on her previous work. Tho local artists represented includo Mr. Jidniond Atkinson, Mrs. J. A. Tripo, wlioso No. So, "Old Father Thames," is an agreeable little skctcli, and whose "Mountain Track, Day's Bay," No. 103, is a clovor if not- altogether successful effort; Mr. AV, Garniitttu, whoa# "Autumn Near the City," No. 3tj, 6hows promise; Mr. AV. &.

; Carter, junior, whose paßt-el work ex 1 liibits flue imaginative power anc 1 Misses Newton, Ina Leo, and others, t< whoso work 1 cannot refer in detail. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, of Christchurch to whose excellent work in the Oils section I have alluded, are also represented in the water colours. Mr. 0. K Kelly contributes a telling little marin< study, No. 2, "The Ebbing Tide," am ah attractive study of willows, No. 132 There is a fine aerial perspective in thi: sketch, which merited a better positioi than that accorded by the liangin( Committee. Mrs. A. E. Kelly deserve: to be warmly congratulated on her por : trait study, No, 23, "The Black Lac> Bonnet," which is replete with trul; artistic grace, and is a work of decidet distinction. A French artist, M. Duportal, is re presented by several finely execute! landscape scenea on the shaggy hoathi or rocky valleys of Brittany. lii al there is a rich mellowness of colourin one or two there is, perhaps, a) excess of yellow—and the old gre; buildings introduced in some of then are invested with quite a romantic interest. It is to be hoped that som< example of this artisvs meritorioui work may remain in Wellington. Mr. R. Wallworfch, of Chnatchuroh sends some pleasant studies of Englisl rustic scenes, of which I unhesitatingly prefer No. 45, "The Old Mill," rich ii well-modulated colour, and with evidence throughout of sympathetic treatment of a well-selected subject. It the study of an old cottage, No. 38 "Near Knutsford, Cheshire," I woult question the too vivid blue below thi -eaves, and there is an effect of wooli ness quite absent in No. 45. Mr. Wallworth also contributes a well-drawi study of "A Toiieriffe Islander," No 97. ' ■ Another Christchurch artist-, an ex Wellingtonian, Mr. It- Herdman-Smith sends some Yorkshire fishing towi scenes and landscape bits from Canter bury. The best is No. 90, "The Quay Staithes." There is some nice feeliii{ in No. 128, "Tho Southern Alps fron the Waimakariri." From Mrs. R. M. Hughes one al . ways expects strong, original work. Hei study of vivid sunlight, sunlight posi tiyely dazzling, No. 100, "Tho Trei Girt Field," will puzzle many visitors perhaps even frighten some, by its aggressive strength. But renewed ant caieful study, especially from a judi cious distance, will correct first iinpres sions. It is not a picture I would lil« to livo with; it would "kill" ever; other pioture in the room, but in it] own style, ultra impressionistic, it ii none tho less a highly original and sue cessful effort. The lower-toned, No 107, "Past and Present," is on mucl more familiar lines, but is unpleasing as to. subject. A special word of praise is due to i monoohromo study by J. Mac Donald, No. 18, "Tasmau Glacier," and the decorative studies of children by E. K. Robisan again display delicato fancy and ingenious design. In the Black and White section, Mr. J. Mac Donald has a fine etching, a portrait study of a well-known local gentloman, and sevoral small etchings, one in the difficult dry paint, are contributed by Miss Mundy, of ChriEtchurch. To Mr. Bowring's irresistibly humorous caricature, "The Court of Appeal,", allusion was made in my first article. Architectural designs are exhibited by Messrs. Gray, Young, and J. S. Swan, and Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Atkinson again show some very attractive metal work.