WOMAN'S WORLD.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3039, 23 March 1881, Page 3

WOMAN'S WORLD.

The judges appointed to examine the exhibits in the Ladies'.Couvt in the Melbourne Exhibition have shown in two departments a courage and judgment which augur well for their decisions in other branches, and which will be heartily endorsed by all who are interested in the work of women, whether undertaken for pleasure or as a source of profit. Our own Ladies Court was disfigured by numberless articles,, mis-named wool-work, pictures, in which, with an absolute violation of all rules in color, shade, or form, well-known subjects were caricatured at an immense sacrifice of time and labor on the part of the worker, and with a result which in the most successful case was a lamentable failure, and in tho majority of instances contributed to the number of productions by which art is degraded. No subject was too sacred, too pathetic, or too ambitious. "The Last Supper," "Tbe

marriage feast at Cana," " The parting of • Charles I. from his children," battle pieces, hunting scenes, and so forth have been selected, and the hideous productions

framed and glazed to the constant torture of any one possessing the smallest claim to a love of beauty in form or color. The Melbourne exhibitors followed in tho same train, and we rejoice to see that the judges have unanimously agreed that "the wool pictures have no art value," and are not entitled to any prize. So also with the pafchwork quilts, which are no longer the proceeds of patient sewing together of tiny scraps carefully treasured, the machine-sewn productions of materials cut in pieces for the purpose of joining— devoid of beauty or harmony, valuable only as trophies of time ill-spent; these have been similarly condemned, and the action of the judges will, we trust, prevent such displays at future exhibitions. Art in the domestic surroundings is low enough throughout the colonies; the G-ormans are doing their best to foster a love of art in all ranks, by providing art schools presided

over by artists of acknowledged skill. We may not be able to follow them in this yet, but we may at least take care that our children's tastes shall not be vitiated hy allowing them to spend school or leisure hours in producing specimens destructive of any innate talent they may possess. A Bhilling photograph, or an oleograph which would cost three or four shillings, will give a child a far better impression of any set

■übject than can be gained from months of labor and a considerable outlay of money in making a needlework Arabesque patterns afford good opportunities for learning the mysteries of the stitches in wool needlework j and, under good guidance, for

a harmonious blending and contrasting of colors, and to the more expert flowers offer great inducement for elaborate and attractive work, but we trust tho reign of tho so-called pictures is over. —New Zealand Times.