CANTERBURY SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2410, 26 December 1881, Page 3

CANTERBURY SOCIETY OF ARTS.

The second annual exhibition of this society opened on Saturday in the Boys* High School. The society may fairly be congratulated on the progress it has made, as evidenced by the character of the exhibition as compared with its first exhibition held at the beginning of this year. The number of works fully equal the number then shown, while their size and quality are much superior. Exhibitors from other provinces muster too in greater force, showing that the society has attracted attention outside the province. Many exhibitors who last year were represented by small works have sent this time pictures of much greater pretensions. The number of oil paintings also greatly exceed those which were found on the walls in January last. As was the case in the first exhibition, Mr Gibb shows the largest works in the room. On entering the eye is at once struck by a sea piece of considerable size, called “ Will she weather it ?” The subject is a fisherman’s schooner, close hauled on the wind, and the fishermen are anxiously leaning over the side speculating whether the will round a rook seen ahead, while an amount of wreckage floating to the right serves to suggest that very possibly the oraft may fail in doing so. The painting of this piece is very good, more particularly the water in the foreground and the schooner itself. Hanging almost alongside this picture is another canvas by the same painter, perhaps his most successful effort in the Exhibition. It is entitled “ Autumn Showers; Cashmere, Christchurch." The scene is a view on the river Heatboote, and, without being striking, the picture is very pleasing. The river is excellently done, and the field to the right, with the trees to the left, are given with much feeling. In mastering the difficulties incident to such a homely scene, Mr Gibb shows that bo possesses much artistic feeling. The other pictures shown by Mr Gibb are “ A Summer Breeze off Lyttelton Heads," “ In the Glooming, Milford Sound," three pictures of subjects at Sumner, “ Evening, Bradshaw Sound,” views on Lake Forsyth, Bradshaw Sound, and Lake Pearson, and a picture entitled “Off the Pilot Station, Bay of Islands.” It will bo seen that Mr Gibb exhibits no less than eleven pictures, and as they are all largo ones, be occupies a considerable portion of the walls. Naturally in such a large number it cannot be expected that all should be of equal merit. His|leasb successful efforts are two of bis Sumner views, and some of bis other oanvaisca show a good deal of hasty painting. For instance his picture of Milford Sound is a good deal marred by the carelessness of the right hand part of the work. Notwithstanding these defects, however, the society is much indebted to Mr Gibb for the energy be has displayed in bringing so many important works to the front. That ever welcome contributor, Mr Cousins, shows five pictures, all of great merit. His study of a a flax swamp is perhaps the most pleasing sketch on the walls. The reflected light is charming, and the purity of the coloring is such ao may always be expected from this artist. His other views are of MountEarnahaw and Lake Wakatip. Ho also gives n» two small oils entitled “A Surprise," and “A Little Beggar." The former shews a kitten peering over the edge of a table on which are seen a lobster, a loaf, a jug, Ac., while the “little beggar ”is a puppy—a capital piece of painting. The energetic secretary of the society, Captain Temple, shews nine pictures, the moat successful of which is a view of the head of Lake Wakatip. There is a glow about this picture, and the magnificent mountains seem to swelter in the beat. His view of Pieton, though more a rough sketch than a painting, is instructive as well as striking. “ Lake Ullswater, Cumberland,” is clever, though the prevailing green makes it not so pleasing as it might be. There is a large unfinished looking oil of a swamp oh the Tuamarina river, and two small figure pieces pourtrayiog scenes in the trenches of Sebastopol, while the balance of Captain Temple’s pictures are made up of two new Zealand views and one from Cumberland. Mr Neville is not so strongly represented on the walla as he was last year. He shows nine pictures, but most of them are small. His “ Wrack on the north side of Taiaroa Heads ” and his “ Wild Cattle Drinking ” are his most ambitious efforts. The latter is a fine piece of painting of an intricate bush scene, and although parts of it are a trifle uneven, yet it shows that the artist is at home in forest scenery, as he is in sea pieces. Mr Feele appears in excellent form in the exhibition. There is a sparkle about his painting that renders it eminently, effective, and his five works sent in are extremely even in quality. Their titles are “ Lake Mapourika,” “ Mahinipua Like, West Coast," “ Lake Wakatipn,” “ Ohia Gorge,” “ Sunrise and Shower, Loburn Downs." Mr Atoherly is also well to the fore, and his contributions much exceed in number and excellence those which he showed in the last exhibition. They number ten, and of them perhaps the most striking is a view off Scinde Island, Napier, with the steamer Taupo and other shipping in the foreground. His smaller but highly finished sketches, are charming pieces of coloring, his small sea views in particular being all that can be desired. Miss Horne, an Auckland lady, favors the society with several sketches from the North. Two waterfall scenes from Drury, two Whangarei sketches, and one of Palliser Bay make up her contributions, Mrs Wills sends two excellent specimens of painting on china, and a screen on which there is some capital work, the purple flags on the right hand fold being particularly noticeable, Mrs Campbell sends a flower and two figure pieces, all three very carefully worked out. Mr Gr. Turner exhibits several sketches, of which the most successful is a view on the West Coast road. A further notioe in tomorrow’s issue will dispose of the remainder of the pictures sent to the exhibition, as well as of an excellent collection of works by well known painters, which are placed in the entrance, and form a most interesting supplement to the original pictures sent by New Sealand artists.