THE ART EXHIBITION.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2755, 15 December 1871, Page 2

THE ART EXHIBITION.

Everybody admires pictures, and to a certain extent everybody, by nature, lias faculties by which he may bo able to judge whether they are true to pature or not, A beautiful landscape cannot fail to impress the eye with its sunlight and shadow, the outlines of hill and valley, the wooded slopes, the forms of clouds, and the still or moving water. But while in this aggregate of beauty on the vast scale of nature, no difficulty is felt in admitting its harmony and perfection, it is somewhat different; when the same landscape is presented to the eye reduced to the size of a pane of glass, through which it might have been viewed. Every line, every tint may be just in the place where it would have fallen on that crystal plane, had it become fixed upon it by some magic process, but it would seem the judgment must be instructed so as to approve or condemn correctly human work. It is questionable whether nature itself would not be sometimes charged with exaggeration if her own work in certain aspects were recorded as we have imagined. VS'hen, therefore, the less skilful work of human hands is under examination, and mental reference is made to some ideal standard, conceived in the nijn<J of the ipspegtqr, thepe is po need foV wonder that variety of opinion exists. In order vq estimate such attainments as drawing or painting, it must be remembered that perfection is attained only by long and careful practice of eye and hand ; and when an exhibition of art is presented, as skill is a question of time and effort, many gradations must be observable. Much that is crude may really be a vast and rapid stride by the artist: much that is fairly finished, the very highest effort of which the painter is capable. In so young an institution as our School of Arts, art is seen in every gradation, from the finished pictures of Mrs Nicholl’s to the rough outlines of beginners. While, therefore, we shall merely mention the best specimpn§, it must not be understood that wc undervalue less cultivated effort. The turn of these beginners will come in time if they perssrere. There can be no question that the best exhibits are copies of good pictures. We do not say these accomplished copyists cannot give us original paintings. From the tree and artistic finish of a scene on the Rhine, by Mrs Nicholls, we should judge that she will next year throw the leading strings over, and select some of our own beautiful scenery as subjects for her pencil. In water colors, there are some very pretty sketches by Miss Fannie Holmes, the best of which is the Bridge of Tours, the Loch at Mill end ; a Bird’s Neat and Eggs, by Mrs Davidson; and several clever water-color sketches by Miss Fortune, The Rustic Critic, by Miss Chapman, is a very good sketch of a country youth absorbed ip contemplation of a picture. Miss Solomon’s Egg I’lant and Pomegranate is carefully executed and brilliantly colored ; “Blue Eyes,” a pretty child, a first attempt in oil by Mr Mollison, gives promise of high future excellence in the very difficult achievement of delineating human features. We must not omit to mention the group of vases and fruit by Mr Neijl. It must be conceded that copyirg another' 3 work is an easier, and on the whole a pleasanter task than drawing from models or from nature. Many persons are excellent copyists, who would feel much bewildered if required to put down what they saw on canvass. What we want to see in Dunedin is what we have seen in London—an artist seated at his easel at a proper distance from some splendid cartoons, and reducing a drawing from six feet by four to twelvie inches by eight, filling in the shadows and drawing the outlines at one operation. This we have seen done by two brothers, quite young men. They were drawing for engraving. It evinced a high power of copying, and they did it unerringly. They might not have been equally clever at drawing from models Many putline drawings in the modehroom shew that this higher branch of ax:'t is not neglected. Mr Smith has several very clever sketches in the model-room. A Venus de Medici in Sepia is beautifully worked, and the limbs finely rounded. A copy of a picture, Juan and Haidce, is very clear. We should not omit a painting of a “Duck,” by the same hand. Mr Scott’s Ariadne is also well worth attention. Mr Somerville exhibits a group of models, very well-drawn pictures of a Dog and a Duck, and “Tired Out.” When it is consideiecl these have been colored by gaslight, truthfulness must appeav wonderful. Wc could find much mors to commend, but would chicJly draw attention to a number of very beautiful outline drawings, as well as to some sketches in chalk. But of the pictures in light and shadow, the Bass Rock and a Waterfall, in charcoal, by Mr Scott and sketches by Miss Matthews, will be highly appreciated by artists, as pointing to the splendid scenic effects which can be realised by a skilful use of this easily worked material.