SCHOOL OF ART.
The fourth annual exhibition of work done by the students in the School of Art, conducted by Mr Hutton, opened yesterday, in the Art Department of the University Hall. We trust this will be the last time we shall examine the pictures in such unsuitable apartments, and that next year the exhibition will be held in rooms specially constructed for the purpose. The exhibits will be examined with interest varying^according to the estimate visitors form of drawing as an industrial aid, or as an ornamental art. The greater number will find pleasure in the paintings, which, in those executed by advanced students, generally evince improvement upon last year’s efforts. Miss Holmes, during the past year, has turned her attention to painting in oil, and exhibits two very pleasing pictures—“ The Wooden Walls of England” and “The Interior of Antwerp Cathedral.” Both are drawn with the care and skill that mark that lady’s works. Great pains, too, have been taken with the coloring, which, though good, is capable of improvement. A very few touches, skilfully introduced, would break its monotony. Although not by any means equal in drawing, Mr Scott’s “ Wooden Walls” and Mr Dick’s “ Antwerp Cathedral” are more boldly treated, and in some places with improved effect. We do not purpose critically to examine every picture exhibited; for it must be plain from the very nature of the case that even the best, being copies of the works of others, do not prove that our students are yet able to “ go by themselves.” Spoken of as works of art, most of them full far short of the originals; regarded as the early efforts of youth, some of whom are under fourteen years of age, they display talent of a high order. Many of them are defective in coloring: they are in excess or wanting some property; yet some of these, when the circumstances under which they were painted is considered, should take precedence as artistic efforts over others in which superior harmony is perceptible. How Mr Scott, for instance, manages by gaslight to escape to so great an extent what may be fairly termed the distortion of color produced by painting that in a yellow light, which is to be seen in broad, clear sunlight, will be considered by every artist as something marvellous. Yet both he and Mr Dick under similar difficulties have contrived to produce some really heauti ful pictures. Whether they would be equally successful with originals did they color them from memoranda may be questioned, as they would then, in landscape, have to produce by gas-light what they had seen by daylight. But they have acquired the training and have _ shown they can adapt themselves to circumstances. One of the best copies in the room is by a young lady, we believe only thirteen years old, Miss M'Laren. It is “ Twa Dogs.” There are many other copies of the same drawing, but not one equal either in drawing or coloring to that. Mias Jessie Chapman has some very brilliantly-executed fruit and flower pieces. Mr Anderson exhibits half a dozen landscapes of a hish order. This gentleman gives promise of being a very able painter in landscapes, when he throws off leading strings an( i copies nature. It is a pity Miss Park has played with sky effects in her picture of a pony and girl. There was no occasion to attempt anything beyond a plain wash for the sky, ns all attention is intended to be concentrated upon the leading figures in the picture, and even a fine sky effect would have divided it. The animal is faultless and the girl passably graceful, but the painter will have to reproduce her picture because of the mottled sky. Amongst the works of young artists are some by a youth named Thomson, whose free style of treatment of his subjects leads tootle expectation that he will one day excel; Miss S. Lubecki, too, with little more than a 3 ear’s experience, has proved that she possesses talent that, cultivated, will enable her to exhibit a good picture next year. Much of the work done by many of the students is hidden for the present, as they have been engaged in mastering geometrical drawings and perspective. Thus this year we miss all but two of Miss JagoV efforts; but one, a little landscape in sen'a, attests the improvement she has made. Mrs Hutton exhibits a few pleasing pictures in oil, one of which is scarcely finished, but will prove very effective. Miss Lizzie Donald’s name should not be omitted, ns she has a most elaborate architectural drawing in chalk, which must have taxed both time and patience; she is rewarded for her pains in the possession of a beautiful drawing. Wehave explained why wedo notmention every exhibitor. Each will be sensible that the degree of merit must be comparative, and, to be judged fairly of, must be estimated by opportunity. Other things being equal, careful drawing and industry will ultimately lead to pre eminence, and that much has yet to be gained by many of ;i the students is evident in the widely different copies of the same piece by different hands. As copyists, they are the most able who approach the nearest to the original. We should be ,glad to see drawing from models more universally practised, as it is the first step to originality in the treatment of a subject, In the model room a few sketches are made, some of which are excellently drawn, but unfortunately some carelessness has been shown in the after treatment.
We shall return to this subject in a second article.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18741211.2.15
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Evening Star, Issue 3683, 11 December 1874, Page 3
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942SCHOOL OF ART. Evening Star, Issue 3683, 11 December 1874, Page 3
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