BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 270, 3 August 1918, Page 11

BOOKS OF THE DAY

"Art in Australia." The fourth issue of that now wellcstablishcd publication, "Art in Austra-liu"-(Sydney:.Angus ami Robertson; per Whitcombo and Tombs), is specially devoted to a survey of Australian art during' tho last twenty-live years, from tlio pen of Jlr. Lionel Lindsay, who gives a most, interesting account of the splendid progress. made of late years by Australians in the graphic arts, « ■ progress which was recently evidenced in tho exhibition at tho Now South Wales National Gallery of u collection of Australian pictures and drawings got together b,v tho energetic director, Air. Maim. Mr. Lindsay's essay deals in delnil with the work of tlio leaders of Australian painting and its induenco mion that of the later and especially tho younger men. He points out that during the past quarter of a century a certain nolo of nationality, slight perhaps, but distinct, has been struck. "Tho old picturoniakin? formulas, and tho rontimenlnl memories of Europe which > haunted the easels of immigrant artists, _ were laid for ever; the Australian painter, with a virginal vision of his native land, fur tho first time in its history experienced something of its character and beauty;" It is good to learn that not only is Australian art more truly artistic nowadays, less imitative, ,111010 expressive of originality in subject and treatment, but it is ! mere- financially profitable to its - ex- i ponents. The day when tho, Australian artist had, in a very largo degree, to depend upon teaching for his living has happily departed. Tho privato buyer, who is the- inuinstay of llio working artist, has. s.ivs Mr. Lindsay, | begun to collect. "Tlio first exhibition ; held by S'trceton on his return_to Aus- i traiia brought him to his aston- ] ishiuent and delight, and Ileysen reaped half that sum from a show of wnlercolnurs." To-day, both in Melbourne and Sydney, there is quite a rumber of collectors— tho medical profession being specially well represented—who compete eagerly for the pick of exhibited work. "Tho Australian artist," says Mr. Lindsay, "has now nothing to growl about so long as he can produce beautiful work, for -no man of pronounced ability has failed to receive, n generous consideration." As in earlier issues of "Art in Australia," the illustrations are numerous and are produced, ' especially the colour prints, in a- manner which proves chJarly that Australian art printing has nothing to fear by comparison with the best European and American work. Tho colour plates, each separately mounted on stout cartridge paper, include reproductions of oils and water colours by Strceton (tho exquisite ''Purple Noon's Transparent Light," which many Now Zealand visitors to Melbourne must have admired in tho Victorian National Gallery); John Longstatf, tho brilliant water-cotouirist, the Into .1. .T. Hilder; Norman Carter, 6. W. Lambert (ror so many years an exhibitor well'known in Paris and London), K Philips Fox, L. ilermml Hall (director of the Melbourne Gallery), W. 15. M'Jnlies, Charles Wheeler, Julian Ashton, the late Charles Contler, the versatile Norman Lindsay, and that most promising of all tho younger men, Elliott Gruner, who, by the way, j9 a Now Zealandev by birth. In tho lialf-tono illustrations several other well-known artists arc represented, including Sid. Long (a beautiful specimen of whoso delicate Coratliko work was so much admired at the sketch exhibition hold in Wellington a little while back), lidwacd Officer, tho Victorian, Tom Roberts, J. Muir Auld, Will Ashton, and Ilarlcy Griffiths. This last-named gentleman, now a resident in ■Wellington, 1 is represented by an oil painting of Beothoven's Mask ; a singularly arresting and dignified piece of work, which makes one hope that Mr. Griffith's .work may bo seen at future exhibitions.'in this country. There are also somo interesting reproductions ot'_ etchings by John Shirlmr, Lionel Lindsay, and others, and a brilliant example, "The Death Scene" in "Hamlet," of Norman Lindsav's superb skill as a pen-draughts- ■ man. The whole volumo is a succession of beautiful things for airt lovers. The typographical execution of the book is admirable. Art lovcr'fl will do well tc secua'o a copy of this latest issue ot "Art in Australia" without delay, foi earlier issues are exhausted and sit j premium. I trust it will not _be lom c jeforo the editors carry out their promise of extending tho scope of their excellent. venture to include the work o-: eoine of our New Zealand artists. li figure work, largely owing to the dim culty of obtaining models, the Donnnioi is sadly behind the Commonwealth, bu in poire landscape some very lino work v being done on this side of the lasmai Sea, and I should like to seo it repre sented in future issues of the pubhoatioi under notice. (Price, 7s. (id.) "The Bulwarks of Peace." Additions to the already respeclabli bulk of what may bo styled ' reconstnic tion literature" are incrcasmgly uumcr oua. One of the most recent and notabt works on post-war problems, more par ticularly that most difccult of all bUCI problems, the. devising of some schem for tho preservation of peace, is entulei "The.Bul.varke of Peace" (Mcthuen on< Co.), the author being a English lawyer, Dr lleber Hart, jv-C LLD Dr. Hart tells us that his littl work in intended as a Primer of Pcacean attempt: to provide "a compoudiou statement of tho material facts and guit ini* principles which should be borne i mind by anyone who is considering whii ought to be dono by tho Govornmeiil and peoples of tho various States ot t i world, with the object of preventing tn outbreaks of ..wars in. the future. 1. ascertaining the best means of securni peaco the elements of social ordor shoul be kept -in '• view. We ought, says D: Hart, to- "take into consideration tt relations of war to the evolution of in inanity; the causes of wars in modcr times; tho reasons for directly cumina ing, or completely counteracting, .tlie< courses; tho intluences and forces wnor by men living in communities are iciincd or constrained to orderly bell; viour, aud the extent to which those i: ' fltionces and forces are applicable to n tions and States; tho scope ot gener Tules and administrative ordinances r spectively in relation to social order; tl nature and practical value ot intern tional law; the essential sanction ■ right; the,social function of torce; tl processes whereby an aggregate of inc yiduals coalesces into an organised s ciety; and tho special functions ot tl J'lnglish-speaking peoples in relation 1 world order." Tlio author deals in d tail with most of the subjects just me tioned, and presents a series of concl sions which deserve the careful atte lion of all who are interested in wh is to ho tho permanent outcome, f good or for evil, of the gre world struggle now in progrei ■ Dr. Hart is a strong supporter of I League of Nations principle, but warns us tli k at tlu're aro serious diftici ties in the way of the league's praetic working. Ho points out tliftfc ulthou there are somo fifty or so States in t world the issues of war and pence won in practice, rest with only eight of tin —States' possessed of "a potential qua sovereignty of the whole world. J trroiit problem would be how each of tut ei"ht States couli be prevented tr< fighting all or any of the rest. J author elaborates ot some _ lengl n J general idea of a League ot Peace, I section entitled "The Lenguo in Actio bung specially interesting. Ino autl elos \s each chapter with a geneial p position. In that which lollows t chapter heade<l "Custodet Paeis we h hin. laying down tho leading princi] that "in "any circumstances which c nov be contemplated, m order tl ncnic mav be maintained, it will necessary that the British and Aineric Commonwealths should together take I principal part in the measures renuij for the prevention of war, and I ~"<>ator the power of these Comm*

wealths, and the closer their association may bo, tlio greater will bo tho prob- ' ability that such measures will 1)0 sue- 1 ce-ssfiil." In his final chapter, "British t Union," tlio author makes an eloquent anil forceful pica for tho federation ot t tlio .British Commonwealth ot' Nations. "Keoi'giuiisafion upon a federal Iwsis - would," he contends, "render tho British Commonwealth, as a corporate wliolo, t more closoly analogous to the great Itcpublic of tile West. It will thereloro c facilitate the approximation of these two „ political aggregates towards that snbstan- . tiai unity, that 'conscious and leagued ( community of function in the service ot ( iiuuikiiid, in tho prospoct of which are { to Ijo found the world's best hopes lor*- . tlio future." Dr. Hart's book is ono that slioild bo widely read. It must bo j regarded as ono of tho most important j contributions ivo have yet had lo tho ( study of post-war political problems, ] more particularly tho question of how best to secure flio undisturbed peace of i the world. - (iWZ. price 55.) , "Maoriana." "Maoriana" is tho title of a long nar- , rativo ])oein, written by klan W'estorwood, and published by Messrs. Whitcombc and Tombs, in which a well-, planned poetic setting is given to descriptions of many interesting ancient Maori customs and traditions, sonio excursions being also mado into the rich iield of Maori mvthology and history. Incidentally, it has been the author's object to i give a descriptive account of the farfamed Wonderland of New Zealand, tlio Hot. J.nkcs region of tho North Island. Tho poctic story lias lor its chief iiguro a young Scot named Evan, who sails fot tho Antipodes in the forties of tho last I century. Landing on the shores of tho : Unv of Plenty, ho makes ait excursion i inland, loses his way, and falls in with a i party of Ngatiawa. Ho becomes a | member of the tribe, and takes part 111 1 all its varying fortunes, including par* ! ticipation in some truly Homeric com* I bat- which arise out ol' the ambitions i and love affairs of -the groat Chief Huah. j The author's stylo—the metro is that ot < Scott's "Lady of tho Lako'-gathcrs in ! streiifth as the narrative proceeds, and i Mr. Westerwood must certainly bo credited with the power of vivid description, ! although it had been better, had ho purged his work of such venerable who cliches as "tho gonial orb of day, tho dark canopy," "momentous late, and so forth. He gives a vigorous^drawn picture, of that nwe-inspirmtf spectacle, the Maori war dance of llie olden times, mid his -portraits of tho Maori chieftains and other heroes of his highly dramatic story are often strongly ami convincingly drawn. As an example of his style, I select a brief passage in which the Chieftain Huah is dascribed. As thus-.— High on a, vocl; Te Huali sate, In all the dignity l ot state; ' His dirk brown features, pointed flue, Aro tattooed deep, in many a line, Tlio blue-indented, curv-cd atreaUa I Imprint, his eyebrows, chin, and ohecKsj! • His dark, imperious restless eyes Betray the fire within that lies. / • An ample taka, soft and warm. > Envelops close his haughty form, While by his side hits gun and spear I With other warlike arms appear; 1 And in his hand; embellished, fair, » He holds hiß greenstono men rare. r This groat Ariki scorns the name • That he from earth or mortals cimio, • But high in Itangi's blest abodes • - He got hiß being from the gods. . Nor'does his rude and credulous elan , E'er dream him weak or mortal wan, ' But reverences every mandate given 1 As if received from sacred' Heaven. Mr. Westenvood deserves credit for tho i ingenuity and industry with which ho i has woven into a narrative, primarily 1 dramatic in subject ami tone, many 111i tcresting descriptions of picturesque i iiativfe scenes. Tlio illustrations include the portraits of latter-day Maoris and . scenes in tho Hot Lakes regions.