N.Z. ACADEMY OF FINE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 19, 17 October 1918, Page 9

N.Z. ACADEMY OF FINE

.';— —-« ~ - NOTEION THE EXHIBITS (By-''The Lay Figure.") A few concluding notes on the water colours. Noel Barraud sends some conscientious work ' from England--sniall but graceful, drawings,'--' a ;littlc ftroader in stylo than is usual' with ■this artist. ■. His "Boats at St. Ives,' , -280, and .."On. the Fringo of 'thfj .Forest," 346, the latter in particiila/.-, ' /are delightful bits of colour. ■ ' A. Hordman Smith is represented by some excellent sketches of fishing boats at tho artist's favourite Whitby, ■■'' and some, vigorously painted West €oast scenes, amongst which I like best 290, ."Whore the Arnold Enters tho JJrunner."' '■/:. "• 0. H.-Howarth's fine marine study, : ''Heavy' Sen,; Omeroa. Blnff," 265, : should moi: bo 'overlooked. The sense of "weight in ..the/breakers is- admirably (suggested//" ■'■[■ ■ ■ \ Close fo"Mr: HowarthYpMturo are ■two. tiny; but very pleasant little city , scones hy'.C.' H. Barton. ' "Customhouse, Quay," 269, is specially good. A localJlady,artist, whose work this . year exhibits a quite marked' advance, is/Miss Ethel Grady. .There, is a distinctly good quality—firm" handling and pure colour—in her' Blenheim sketch, ,871. ':■-■■' '".'.. A French artist, M. Duportal, who seems to have become a. regular contributor to New. Zealand: art. exhibitions, sends a drawing, "lluins rfear ;■ Kouen," 366. His other contribution, •"Buoys at Honfleur," 171, suffers from the ugliness 0.f.-the-huge, buoy's^in tho •foreground^'" . ■ •'" ''./;.•-'.-' 'Miss Minna Arndt. (Mrs. .Leo yManoy's)/ beautiful. "Hydrangeas," 235, a pesfcejj'-has been • much.- andde-; seryedly.<admired.;, It is ' an excellent example/of. 'flower.painting. ThereT.is. good :work, too,-in'the same artist's ; "Tho' Balcony," 192. ■ ' 'From the,' South Island comes sorno pleasant landscape work- by A: E. Baxter,'whqsa study of "Baia.in the Ofcira Gorge,"'2Sß, i's.a most successful effort; E. Sartlay, some'Otira scones; and E. M. Mund ay, whoso figure-study, "The Boy and, the Jar,".386, is a vory.-courT ageous nd• praiseworthy effort. ■.' _Vera Eichelbaum's "Balloon Day,"373j_ is a. gay and captivating bit of colour, ;aud the 'still-lite in F. fritchard"s ' k Japa.nose'D6ll.".'.3Bs, is "attractively painted',' ;,,; ! v - • V " ,- 0. Bay Campbell is less successful in this section, than .'in the oils." ..His .figure-study, 367, ''The Curtsey,!-'' is perhaps his beat .contribution.. '.'.'■ : •■ Denis Seaward 'gives, us quito a Whistler in his .delicately atmospheric marine study, "A Misty Afternoon, Dpwe's Harbour," 240,.and there is some strong, convincing -work in James ,Balfour"s studies of boats; in particuflar his- "Irish /Fishing Port," 155. ; .-. :-,■' : '■• ■ . .;', ■■• .... .-■ . I _ Quit-ie- a number of agreeable drawings f/rb sent hv E. W. Payton tho .well-kniown Auckland artist, iind'a lady arhs»j, once well-known in Wellington, Miss, Mabel Hill, sends some "Sydney sket/fches. .... '•''.- j'i word or two of praise is due ;to Mrs. H. 1. de Castro for several slight mt agreeable, drawings, which prove the '• artist's- keen sense of the picturesque, and some very happy colour .schemes.: - . ; .Many other exhibits might be instanced, but space limits forbid further waerence to this section. Black and White. ' : : ,V\ 6 P ] ? .9 u i? e -a respectable show of «tehmgs this year.i - .Amongst the Australian contributors, Alfred Coffey and Jftrene Mort send some fire work. -A •.local artist, who does not often give 'US a-taste undoubted skill as .an etcher, is .Mr, H. Linlev Richardson, here-represented by a delicate little. ■dry | point of Wellington Harbour from li-elburn. Some pencil drawings of homes, ; Miss Flora-; Scales 'are also worthy of .attention,-.--and,a charcoala girl's' head, by :F. fntchard, should not be overlooked. Tho Sculpture. | Mr. J Ellis's: admirable portrait bust ? ir \? £ res ident of the .Academy, Mr.' Jtt. M. Gore, represents the always cbnlscientious and truly artistic work of . 'the sculptor at'his'bost.'lt.isa'speaking likeness, and is .beautifully mod--.'Oiled, especially'below the ears and found the eyes. The disciplined skill and the innate good taste or-the sculptor are hero displayed with quite mark<ed success..-. It is clear .that Wellirie,ton possesses-.in Mr.-.Ellis 'a gentleman to whom; could be entrusted with *Ho utmost confidence the most import -ant of commissions in sculptured Dortraiture. , .. ■ v ■•■ • ■■ .J liss , B : C ;Dobie's fine animal 'study/ .Hound.nv Leash," is another'notable" contribution,.to. this, section, in which v&r?n'i' b T f to '•Rented, for Miss Ethel Gyles hns,'ap admirable por- ' trait bust/and Miss Margaret ! Butler an exquisitely .beautiful figure study, study.., Amongst this student's work Jn this _section special praise is due to the mojlelled figures by Mabel Still and Marjone Hill. Both' ladies, especial y tho former deserve warm congratulation upon the.happy combination of gTMo : and strength perceptible in their • :• ' i-oan Exhibits. .The counoil has been fortunate this Je vJ? interesting loan exhibits The Raoburn.portrait lent by Mrs, J. S. H. Holmes is a fine example dignifiX? &cots painter ' s —y. amongst British landscape artists. °Tlio subject, m "The Dogana, Venice," and; the painting of the water and the deli- * cately silvery atmosphere is in full keeping with the Turnerian tradition." The drawmg of a church (? ,tbo lie- . dontore) in .the background is,' how- ' ■ever, curiously weak. ■',-, ','....' ( ' Colonel Purdy. has also kindlv lent ' an interesting if not specially uotablo ' example of George norland's'art The Van der-Vcldons lout by MiHerbert Barr are also well-worthy of attention by the visitor;. In the metal work section a beautifully modelled silver howl, lent by Mr ' and Mrs. A. D. Crawford, lias been justly admired. ,-" . .'■.■• . i A large and appreciative . audienco '■ gathered at the Art Gallery last night to hear Mr. 11. F. von Haast dis- •' course on ''The Eelation of .Art to ■'. Lifo," as illustrated by the Renais- ' sanco. The hopo was'expressed- by ' those present that a moro lengthv.-led ' tnre on tho subject would be arranged J 1.0-iiiglit, at 9 p.m.. Mr.. J; K; LoVnas ; will give a short .talk-on I'Tlio Kela- ' tion of Art to Life in. Japan," .and '' show a number of prints'and drawings - ' collected by him in the East/-'The " public arc reminded that closing days '■'■ are approaching. Art-union ticket ' holders are notified .in this issue that . 1 the (Irawmg is postponed to Saturday, ' October 19, at 9 o'clock,, ■~ . f