SCHOOL OF ART.

Evening Star, Issue 3377, 16 December 1873, Page 2

SCHOOL OF ART.

The annual exhibition of drawings and paintings by Mr Hutton's pupils show that a steady advance is being made by those who attend the classes, and that the crude efforts of a few years back aie giving place to pictures of more than ordinary merit. The exhibits may be considered in two lights : the practical and the ornamental. Those which a:e most pleasing to the general visitor the ornamental - are sketches of scenery and human figures, animals, flowers, and fruits. Of these there are many beautiful specimens. Their only drawback is that they are copies of the works of others. Now that such proficiency has been acquired, such accuracy of hand and eye, and such a knowledge of the principles of coloring, we trust that next year original paintings of scenes in the neighborhood will be presented. We see no reason why a society of sketebers from nature cannot be formed, and pleasant excursions made in search of beautiful subjects for painting, just as the Field Naturalists’ Society prosecute their investigations. There is no necessity for an artist following his favorite study with no other companions than his sketch-book, his easel, and his color-box. And it must not be forgotten that the end and purpose of art study is not merely to copy, but to produce. Anything short of this no artist should dream of. It is a good thing to be able to copy a good picture, but it is a better to be able to paint one from nature that others will delight to gaze upon and copy. Possibly Mr Hutton’s heavy work - for he is constantly employed -may render difficult his organising such trips for his pupils ; but we are quite sure, if lie have opportunity, it would be beneficial in both an artistic and hygienic point of view. The practical branch of drawing is that devoted to mechanical and architectural designs. Not many persons feel much interest in geometrical figures, however accurate. Straight lines, angles, circles, cylinders, tubes, have not much charm about them, however accurately drawn. They seem to tell of hard practical everyday work ; but it is to these that works of utility are indebted for their marvellous results. We ate glad to find that Mr Hutton has many pupils anxious to master this useful branch of art: youths employed in mechanical operations, who are thus not content to be merely under the direction of others, but who are fitting themselves by this preliminary study to bs themselves designers. Were no other consequences to follow the establishment of the Art School, that of contributing to the education of skilled workmen would be sufficient.

We scarcely think it fair to treat a School of Art ns wc should an exhibition of works of professed artists. To speak of the absolute merit of the works would render necessary some adverse criticism in almost all; and to compare one with another, when some of the pupils are the students of a few months or a year, while others have been under instruction for years, would very possibly tend to an erroneous estimate of artistic talent and industry. The crudest drawing, for instance, by one who is learning the rudiments of the art, compared with the best production exhibited, may ically manifest the higher talent in the junior artist, when degree of instruction, opportunity, and experience are considered. Some of the paintings are marvellous instances of the power of genius to overcome obstacles. They have actually been colored by gaslight, through the artists’ daily occupations preventing their attention to their pictures at any other time. We had marked some pictures for special mention, but for the reasons stated, we think it better to content .ourselves with naming those students whose progress has been the most remarkable. Amongst the work of the ladies, we may instance exhibits by Mrs Hutton, Misses Chapman, ADLaren, Wright, Alarm, Douglas, Jago, Johnson, Miller, White, Holmes, (Jraut (two). Amongst the men, Messrs Kay, Dick, D. .Scott, A. Anderson, Hutchison. M‘Allen, and Fleming, The numbers of engineering draughtsmen who have produced excellent drawings is legion. The value of the educational system of Otago in preparing youth for scientific departments, is becoming manifest in the number of talented applicants for appointments requiring special knowledge. The School of Art is doing its work rapidly. Ten years ago, not a dozen artists were in Dunedin who could draw or print even indifferently. In a few years, in ability to do one or the other well will be the exception,