CANTERBURY SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2152, 18 January 1881, Page 3

CANTERBURY SOCIETY OF ARTS.

The first annual exhibition of pictures under the auspices of this society opens to-day in the large room of the new Boys’ School, in Worcester street west. As our readers are aware, the society was formed some months back with a view of encouraging the fine arts in this province. A similar institution has existed tor some years in Dunedin, and has done good work, its annual exhibition being looked forward to with great interest by the public, and its members displaying a large amount of zeal and energy. There can be no doubt but that a society of this nature is more or less of a necessity if painting and its kindred arts are to be properly fostered in our midst. Periodical exhibitions of original works servo to mark the progress made from time to time, and, by giving ample opportunity of comparison, enable artists to measure their own standard with accuracy, and to gain ideas valuable in the future. For the rising generation on art society is useful in more ways than one. It enables students to study the works of more matured performers who are engaged in the same field of action as the students themselves, acd the regulation that every candidate for a working membership must satisfy the Society as to bis artistic ability may well be supposed to stimulate the faculties of those who wish to join the ranks. As to the present exhibition in Worcester street, we think that the public will be surprised at the number and quality of the original works displayed on the walls. Yesterday afternoon the room was thrown open to members for a private view, so that we are enabled, through the courtesy of the Society, to give to our readers a general idea of this, the first of the Society’s periodical exhibitions. On the present occasion, with the view of enhancing the general interest, a loan collection of pictures is also shown, which includes some very valuable works, but we imagine that this is a feature which will not be always included in future exhibitions. The original works number ninety-seven, while there are forty-one loaned pictures. The hanging committee have done their work impartially and successfully, and the Society are most lucky in obtaining the use of a room such as the large schoolroom, for its height, airiness, and excellent lighting, render it all that can be wished for exhibition purposes. We will now particularise on some of the pictures on view, taking first the original works. On entering, the eye is at once struck by three large oil paintings by Mr J. Gibb, the subjects being the “ Shades of Evening on the Estuary,” “ The Morning after the Storm,” and “Lake Tokapo.” In morning and evening effects Mr Gibb is quite at home, and the two first of the above pictures are brilliantly and truthfully rendered, Mr Gibb possesses a fine eye for color, but we have hitherto thought that his manipulation was somewhat | raw, and that the “texture” of his works was not all that might be desired. But the pictures under review show that he has nearly, if not entirely overcome the above faults, and indicate the strides ho has made of late in his profession. “ The Morning after the Storm ” in particular is an excellent piece of painting, with a disabled ship, and the sea breaking on the rocks, all lit up by the rising sun. It is the most effective of all the original works exhibited. Mr Gibb’s “ On the Avon ” ranks considerably below his other works. Mr H. M. Atcherly is represented by seven pictures, of which “Manganui Head, Tauranga,” is particularly noticeable. Mr Atohorly, like Mr Neville, is most at home in sea and coast scenery, and the freshness and brightness of the picture alluded to above is charming. But that he is not “ abroad ” on land is amply proved by his “ In a Native Pah, Maketu,” as clean a little piece of painting as we would wish to see, Oaptain Temple, the energetic hon. secretary of the Society, exhibits no less than eighteen pictures, touching in them on a large variety of subjects, and showing the great versatility and scope of his brush, it being moreover noticeable that he varies his style at

> times very considerably. Among his eighteen > are to be found landscapes, sea pieces, figure ! and animal pieces, a flower study and a por- • trait. In the landscapes his style reminds us ■ at times of that of Naftel, the Guernsey ■ painter, body-color being employed largely > to produce certain effects. But that Captain Temple is not dependent on this practice—to i which, by the way, a certain class of wateri color painters object, as destructive to transi parency—is shown by other landscapes 1 solidly and brilliantly painted without any body-color whatsoever. Of his views of scenery, perhaps the best are his “ Elephant Hill Creek,” a picture full of well worked out detail; his “ Bryant Glacier”; his “ Gully in Mount Hutt,” a little 'gem; his “ Lake Wakatip, from Queenstown ” ; and his “ Eour Peaks Station.” His picture of the " Humboldt Range, from the River Dart,” is a carefully painted picture, with a fine reflected light in the foreground. His “ Rocks at Waihao” is the least pleasing of his landscapes. A portrait (in oil) by this artist, shows an effective head of a woman in a Brittany cap. No. 52 on the catalogue, by Captain Temple, is entitled “ Early Settlers,” and depicts a landing of Captain Cook when he is interviewed by Maoris of an enquiring turn of mind, who appear particularly struck with the pigs that the explorer has brought to shore with him. “The Sea Spell” is an effective picture of a drowning man, suggested by Tom Hood’s lines:— “ Heaven ne’er heard his cry, nor did The ocean heed his caul.” “Madame Faloot,” a picture of a rose, and “ Horseplay,” show the hon. secretary of the Society in the flower and animal lines. Mr Cousins, we are sorry to say, sends but four pictures, and none even of these are large. Considering the artistic qualities of this gentleman’s work, this is an undoubted loss to the public, and in subsequent exhibitions we trust he will be induced to send both larger and more numerous pictures. “Waikouaiti Bay, in early morning,” is a delightful example of the purest description of watercolor painting. Mr L. Neville exhibits the same number of pictures as the hon. secretary, namely eighteen. As suggested above, this gentleman is mostly at home in sea pieces, though some of his views on land are excellent. His “Man Overboard,” a large 1 picture representing the rescue of a sailor, is most effective, though rather sketchy. Not a i stroke is lost, and a sailor’s eye would recognise i at once the vivid truth of the situation. Amongst Mr Neville’s other contributions the most noticeable are his “ Looking up the Estuary from Sumner,” a very small but excellent study; his “ Pilot Boat,” his “ Dawn at See,” very freshly coloured ; “ The Old Three-decker”; " Past" and “Present.” Of his land views “ French Farm, from German Bay,” pleases ns best, not even excepting his “ Peninsula, from Oxford.”

And here we must, for the present, close our remarks. The remainder of the original works and the loan collection will be reviewed subsequently.