THE PICTURE PURCHASE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 22, 21 October 1919, Page 8

THE PICTURE PURCHASE

Sir,—ln return for the great pleasure I found in a visit to the Wellington Art Exhibition, it is perhaps a l.ttle thankless to appear in your columns as a critic of the purchases made by the committee. Sbiil, there is such good work 011 the walls, that I found myself rubbing my eyes over tho selection. That some of the best arl;'.sts are themselves oil the Selection Committee, and so are debarred from buying their own work, can be the oniy adequate exp'anation of their paintings being passed over for those of lesser men. I do not know that tliiß is so, but in ease it should bo, may I suggest that the Wellington Art Society would do well in the future to place the matter of the purchasing of works for the National Art Gallery ill the hands of experts from other centres. I suggest tlh.is with no wish to rellcct 011 the taste or the judgment of the present buyers. But. seeing how easily inferior purchases can be made (instance the mistakes of a great academician at Home whose purchases, while mes : dciit, amazed art critics throughout Kutope) there seems need for general members to exercise and express the finest judgment in their criticism and acceptance of. works bought for tho nation—l am, etc., A. D. BRIGHT.