BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2854, 19 August 1916, Page 6

BOOKS OF THE DAY

; 'R CREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTIST. .;;•,' It isjhot given to many living artists J,.'./ io have so sumptuous memorial of their i -] "' ■:'/ work as. is the handsome volume, nn '■■ ..'.>"'•' extra large folio, which bears the title' -,; ' , . "The Art of F. McCubbin" (The Lothian ■;.?"Bbok Publishing Company: per S. and y' :<5;jW-Maokay)..:.Thetypographicarproduc- £■;. the exceedingly'^fine quality of ;*'.-■-■"'' /'the'illustrafions, many in colour, others v ';'. J'Jh monotone, 1 ;the;tasiteful binding, with. {."'■ -'(if .one of ;V :y. -•=Mc"eiibbih's'-beautiful bush studies on ;*; .■;■[■. ;,;.;' the frontside' cover, are all most cred- . ,:; itable to. the'enterprising firm rcspon;"sible for the publication. . The volume ':.'..;.-' contains ;-a long and exhaustive'essay ,'■ on "Modern Art," by Mr. James'.Maci,v''■-:'•' Donald,' a biographical sketch of the 'v .; artist's life and "SomeremarksonAiis- '..;;:' tralian Art," by. Mr. - McCubbin! himjjA'; ._ self., .There is. also a useful chroilo- !'"■!"•;>;•' - logical'list of the artist's works. -Fred-- &■-•■'■' : erick McCubbin is a Victorian, having f'.; / ■■""..'been horn at West -Melbourne in 1855. : •: , At. one; of the schools he attended ho !:,V;.: ;, had' amongst his school [ chums Louis .. -jf\ '■-~ Brenhan/ of torpedo fame,.and Richard if;. ';■'■■ ;; Hodgson (celebrated in later years for ::; ,-"'. 'his research in psychical matters). His y ■,:;;; father/ a baker' by. trade, had scant ■.:.";.:: sympathy with the lad's artistic bent, 5,.;.; : '-.' and after a brief sojourn in a solici.tor's office,'; where he spent most of his '" : :V; '; !■■': time in-fashioning little toy theatres, ;j, ■-. ''■ v'- and. colouring' the scene in. water col- ;:".!..: ciirs, young McCubbin was set to , ■:; ■' ■/, work driving ' one of the parental bread •■;",':'• '..carts. A At sixteen -lieiwas apprenticed V •.';.' ■to a coach painter,. and realised his :■; " :' long-ch'efished desire, soriio ar? {;.;';■'. tistic training, becoming 'a,;pupil at.. I'..':;. ■' -an Artisans' School of Design, ui Carl-' j^'. v ',. r ton. ,'Here the greatest insistence i},i ! was upon form and design, but one ]''. -'■"..;" Bay the youth saw in a ; .shop window a W ''.■ 'fine-copy;of Titian's, "Flora," and "from 1,:,/:', that' day; forth, dwelt'in' a new world y\:<i: <>f delight in colour. Later on he '.''"'■• '■'-•'■■■ joined; a;drawing-class started at 1 the : .::.:. .National Gallery.'Molbourne, at tho in- ;; - stigation of Sir Jtedmond Barry, and ;''!■/' .his' artistic education commenced in s.-;';' ._■;;': earnest.. Amongst his fellow-students !■ -.-'.■, ;. were "several who afterwardsi.'became ;'.. famous—-Tom Roberts.' C. D.:: Richard: ; y;Bon, and Bertram now a (..;;' . li ■ sculptor,. of. World-wide ■ celebrity. : : ;: : "i,.;.,.'' In 1875 his apprenticeship to the ■V...:; coach-painting business camo to an '.f-\. '■''■: end,' and he set:up,in business on his own account, doing .piecework'for build;.v.. r . .-\ ers.... Threo days' a - '■. week .he workcd.at -i".;■;":';-.; Ids trade, the lothcr. three ha: devoted ; '■■'■'■' ■':.-.to art:gtudy. ■',•' 'C:'rp ' S .'-lii'lß76,.:tho deatli of'his father loft )_• McCubbin the task' of carrying on the j; 1 ' paternal business and supporting the |;;'. : •family:. It looked.for a time as if his •;'; -/art would have permanently-to be. put :i, : on one side, butunder his own and'his . ; ;;' : :/ipiother,'s joint managership the business {■-'■:"> ./ began,to flourish, and by.-the end of '•.■'■ "(the year;M'Cubbin was able, to returii. ;.':; ; .:•.', to the Art School,: now under the much .;;..;.;:.more capable direction of Mr. Foli'ngs- ; hce, to whose sound teaching and wiso ;i" '■■■■';. counsels so many young Melbourne»ar- '-:.!;?:■■ tists have been greatly indebted. John ; ;,1 Longstaff, S. P. Fox, and St. G. Tucker j.' ; . v joined the class and some , excellent j. : ' , .work .Tras. dono. After, three orifaur., ;: ■ ~ years'of: hard studyM'Cuhbin began to" f;. I :'',; , find himself and eventually ho won the [•; '■;'; ;.first prize for students at4he National 'i';.[■'■}? '6allery,' : Talued.at:£3o, with what was j;;'- one . of::.,tho best:, of -, : ,his, ; early' i':'A-;:'/' ] '.piotTires>./ ''The ~oldi: . 'Home;"': . - the' ;;-.'" -'same prize being ,won in' the- follow- !:,» - ing year; by, Longstaff.-.; (About tliis f " j -' time so.me of tho young, students'broke' 'f:'.':;','/ away froin tho old ..tradition, of paint-, !''.;■.. .ing' landscapes in,the' studios, from !',■ ].'•' : '■': and painted, boldly in the. open j'|- : :i"; air.- iTom Roberts, who had been to ;;,.:'..:■..England, bringing with, him ;-'L'.{;::,y the gospel ,of relative : values, and <;)■;'M'Cubbui was greatly affected'by his r- ~; ..views. - .Roberts and- M'Cubbih spent- !/:'.",'■.■ week ; ends,out- at Box ~Hill^.: where .:" ■■ '•;,Sl'Oubb'iii'.painted "Lost"'and "Down ,y; , ;. tin His Luck." . Tho'latter is now in ,";. v : the:Per'tlr National .Gallery. At Box I',: ;'Hilly Arthur Streoton; and; tho late !:.>.','' ; : : 'CharleSfj-.Oonder wero also among his r/'l, comrades*of the brush. ....:. i' 1 :; ;. ■'■ :Tii' 18S4 r , M'Cubbin was appointed in-t--?':r: .structor" 1 bf drawing at' the National fc'- 7 ::' at last'"he-was 'able to: Vr. ; - rid liiinself onco and for all of the. ties ; :.';" of an •uncongenial eniployirienFto which y-;;. ; he had-Jloyally adhered for the sako of ';"i,';'jhis family. From thence onward his ;'.:,.career has been ono of unqualified suc- : ce6s. ' It was not, however, until 1906 f\' : ■',-, that that trip to the artcent.l /tres of '■ the Old World which :. , 'is tho -'drcaiii and ambition —often,' i:..■".-■ alas, , iie'ver realised—of so many ; ..Y-.\ young -':painlors of the overseas. j'.;': He still, resides in South Yarra, .Mel-. ': ''■'.: bourne,-and although a little over sixty ; ; , : . eontinuosYevery year to send forth V.; more pictures. Orio.df his favourite :/..'.:sketching^grounds was'for some.years : .; ; Wthe ]>icturesquo Mount Macedon dis- {'|': strict. McCubbin is a. firm, believer in (..,. .'Australian art having\a spirit, cliarac;>.,'ter, arid a : value, of its own. . In a : . '.; long and : interesting .essay, from his '..".—';.-'pen on "Aufetralian Art To-day," he '-~'..-. more than onco:emphasises the pohdr ;.:,,;that Siistralia presents an infinite va-, -.';•• ''v.-riety of ; motives for pictorial illustra- .. tipn. _ He combats tho popular theory .■■:'■'.;• that it is necessary for the young Aus- ''■.-'' tralian artist to run away to Paris as soon as he finds the wherewithal to do : ; so.; .He says:— ; . ■ .-•.'■■' ':: • ;'.,,■: Some .powerful influence seems to at-;.'-:..;.v.tract theni there irresistibly.' Theyread ;•': and hear .'of ealons anct. exhibitions that :,'. . are dazzling in their, variety and 'beauty; j; of delightful coteries of artists; of new movements and, new methods. The very name—Paris—seems to them to suggest j.'V ■ an atmosphere of ' art ■''and ' romance, .' ; .whereas, their own country seems dull and commonplace. But it appears to .me they follow a will-of-the-wisp. . . . s:'. They aie caught and dazzled by the fads ; ''! land fashions of the extremists, rather , ,•■/ than instructejtl by tho honest methods of , the true Artists, for in this great artistic ■.-!;' centre exist men, very often brilliant in ; . their way, who are ever seeking to oreate a new. _6ensation. A'novel method of expression is to them of more importance than tho things to be expressed. Like conjurers, they dexterously play ' with- their new ideas, seeking to dazzle . their audiences. New phrases,- new catch-words—"lndividualism in art" and the like—cause the wondering student to give a. profound significance to their piotorial antics. The student strives to echo, and imitate their constantly changing. extravagances. He xc-iaots from oho side to the other till ho no longer 'progresses, but merely juggles. "What then," one'naturally asks, ''has tho student gained by deserting his - country? Does it not really seem that " •"' • ho has lost sight of tho real significance of Art in following the vagaries, of the ..impressionist, the post-impressionist,tho '.;■■ futurist, or any other ist?" '. Vorymiich of what Mr. Mac Donald, in his chapter on "Modern Art," and Mr. McCubbin himself have to say on, . methods of art study might bo read ■'with advantage by our young New '"-Zealand''artists,- and I trust, therefore, /'■' that tlic'vblumo will find its way into i : all our lea^^ffflialio^lihraties^and, ;".'.: . those attash.4MK'Knrß^fihool.Si I ©^ti;S-; | Tlie loprocluctTous of Mr. McCubbin's ['■■ pictures—there arc forty in all—aro ad- ; ; mirably executed, some in colour fac- !■;'•"."! simile, others in monotone. It is im- '.,"-.-: possible to over-praise tho beauty of -..■' /certain of these reproductions. McCub..i>in has.a tender and affectionate eyo

for tie beauties of ' Nature, and although lie never descends to the mere "pretty-pretty"—his work having always a fine breadth and grip of outstanding essentials—he is blessed with that most useful of gifts in a painter, the knack of selecting attractive subjects. His pictures are never dull and uninteresting in their composition. His portraiture work is very fine, but to me, lie is.- at his best in his bush '.scenes, .which Ire . invests _ with truo poetic feeling, indeed, at times with a fine suggestion of romance. The typographical work in the book,' the reproduction of the illustrations, rfnd'-tlie comely and tasteful binding all rofleot the highest credit upon tho publishers. When a volume such as this can be produced in Australia, tliere is no need, to send to London for art' reproduction ! ;Vork or fine printjing. . ,■ ' : ' . •■■''.'.' \V' . ■ ■ - ■'. . ,-• AN IRISHWOMAN IN CHINA. 1 That there is an over increasing appetite for information about China and the, Chinese, especially if. oonveyed in > pleasant,' readable way; < is proved by the many books published of Jate: having the so-called Celestial Land as their ) subject. Curiously enough, some of the best books both on China and Japan seem to.be written by women,. Mrs. Gaunt's' "An Englishwoman iii China" was a notable success, but it has now a formidablo rival in "An Irishwoman in China," by Mrs. JDe Burgh Daly (London, T. Werner Laurie, Ltd!). The special feature of Mrs. Daly's lively and well-written .book' is that it Is' very-largely-a. record of the lifo..of ordinary ; .Europeaii residents :iii China, who'were interested in the people amongst whom they lived, and very friendly with them. The book is Written in an unpretentious way, but is rich in quaintly' charming piotures' of Chinese lifo and character, and permeated by a vein of quiet but effeotive humour, which is decidedly pleasant. Mrs. Daly 'first went to China' in 1888, taking charge of a- small hospital for Chinese women, whioh had been started. at Ningpo, in the Chekiang Pro, vine©, mid-China, by an English lady,wife of Mr. Hoare, the principal of the English College at that place,-and afterwards Bishop of Hong Kong. Later on she married Dr. Daly, medical 'officer at Ningpo, .who, in was appointed port doctor at the.important seaport of Newchang (now generally jcalled Linkow), in Mantchuria. With 'intervals of 'trips' to England, the author remained in China until 1912, ivheh, with .her husband, she returned to take up her residence in the Old Country. During her long residence in China, she visited Peking and other great-Chinese and made several trips info' the interior of Mantchuria. Her husband's offioial position brought her into contact with many Chinese notables, of some of whom she gives entertaining ; character sketches. She speaks highly* of ; the Chinese ( peasant class, as sober, industrious, and good parents, and has clearly an optimistic opinion of the future of the'.country, if only a good, sound, arid honest Government can be established on a permanent basis. Naturally, her'residence at New. •cbajig. enabled her to 6ee. a-.-goodideal-r'. gomotim'es at unpleasantly closeTquarters—of.; the Chinese-Japanese j War, and; later on, of the Russo-Japanese War. She had several personal friends on .board the great Russian battleship Petropavlbsk, which struck : . a mine' when returning to Port Arthur, after a \sortie.;-Amongst those'. Who ;went down in the n ill-iated vessel was the great Russian war painter, iVerests?. chagiri, whoso wonderful pictures' .or Napoleon's retreat from Moscow are so well known. After referring to tha Battle of Moukden, in which the line of battle extended for nearly _ a hundred iniles, Mrs. Daly says: "It is interesting to note what is now ia' well-estab lished fact, that had General Kuropat-, kin possessed competent '. intelligence officers, who would have found out the true state of affairs for him, he could have turned the tido of events both at Liapyang and' Moukden in favour , of ', the' , Russians. ; At Liaoyang, General Kuroki was isolated on the right of Moukden, ..General Nogi on the left, but no one gave Kuropatkin the 'necessary information, and these great opportunities were lost. Everyone who has .lived in the Far East testifies to tho many virtues of. the Chinese servants. I have heard returned Europeans grumblo that their boys were wont to 'make/too much out of his private perquisites, but after all, honesty is largely a' matter of point of view. Mrs. Daly writes: — A respectable servant never steals, but they squeeze, that is, exact a' certain 'toll for themselves in all'money transactions; and this they consider legitimate. It is graduated according to the income of the employer. Amahs or nurses as a rule are very faithful, fond of their charges, and extremely patient in illness. . . . Where would you find a European •nurso who would take out three different coats of varied weights lest a sudden, drop in the temperature oause baby to catch cold ? . . . They, dislike interference by young parents or doctors. Once my husband gave Amah some directions' about baby's health. She came to me in high dudgeon. "Whaffor master tolles me that?" she said. "Master savee doctor pidgin; my savee baby!" After long service a "boy" is apt to develop proprietorial airs which are sometimes very amusing. Thus Mrs. Daly tells of a Shanghai rtudent who after ten or twolve years of bachelor lifo, during which time he employed tho same boy, took to himself a wife. A few weeks passed, and thon the "boy" inquired: "Master, missee have come stop?" "Of course, boy.'" "Master, rnissee have enme stop—my iio can !" "Pidgin j English," as the lingua franca of' tho Par East, is called, is an unholy and often v.ery amusing mixture of English, Portuguese, French, and Chinese. _ A bishop is called "No. ]~ top side joss pidgin man," "top side" standing for heaven, "joss," dios (god), "pidgin" business. A curious story is told of two gentlemen who went to; call upon the King of Sinhi, when that jiotontate was visiting Shanghai. They entered the hotel, and afckcd the proprietor, a courteous American, if His Majesty wo at home. "Boy." i/iUed tho proprietor; "one pioceo King have got?" "Have got, sir," replied tho hoy cheerfully. "His Majesty Js at home," translated tho proprietor. Tho author quotes tho by this time rather well-worn story of how a Chinaman described tho first motor-car he saw. ''Hai yah! What thing? No pusheo, no pullee, go like hollee" A similar story which used to bo told of tho "n~c"tvly"aTfiVcd OhinaMn"whb'*''saw. > tlio' MolbdiirW cable'cut's?' ; 'A v Chinese description of tobo<janmng, as quoted by the author, is, however, now—to mo, at least: "Swissh—thon walk to back two miles!" Mrs. Daly gives an_ interesting account of the Boxer riots, and many other famous Chinese haoneninjrs. Ter

thook from first to last is a most on•Jcertaining production. Tho illustrations aro numerous and most interesting-