CANTERBURY SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6509, 6 January 1882, Page 5

CANTERBURY SOCIETY OF ARTS.

111. Of the oil paintings not remarked on in former notioos of this Sooiety's Exhibition, few are moro pleasing than (66) Mr Beetham's "Coooanut Trees: Fiji/' The sweeping graceful curve of the golden beach, and the glassy surface of the still water inside the reef, are very happily contrasted with the restless ocean outside. The drawing is careful; and though the coooanut trees themselves are a trifle formal, the whole forms a very agreeable pioture. In (60) he has been successful again in his little piece of cliff near Timaru. The foroe of the green breakers dashing up against it makes one shudder for the Timaru breakwater. Mrs Niohoils' large oanvas (146), " Waimakariri Valley," is more extensive and ambitious than successful. Her aerial perspective" is faulty, and her road seems to be nearly on the same level ae the river-bed, intended to be many feet below it. Her " Waterfall: North Island " (144), is a much better effort, the foliage of the trees showing signs of careful work.

Captain Temple's curiously erratic method of painting was notioed last year. His style occasionally shows traces of power and originality, at times amounting to something more than mere talent; in fact, trenohing now and then on the border line that bounds it from genius. At other times we are met by a careless workmanship and want of feel* ing that is inexcusable in one so proficient in the technicalities of his art. That this is not random writing may be proved in a short comparison of some few of the numerous pictured he has sent to the gallery. To take two as opposite in character, as they are in the positions assigned to them in the room—- " Swamp: Tuamarina Biver" (74), and (29) " Head of Lake Wakatipu." The latter is characterised by an almost womanly tenderness and delicacy of exeoution, which, however, never degenerates into mere prettiness. The other, with itd blood-streaked sky and gloomy pools of slimy water, removes us at once into the region of melodrama. It is, in fact, a piece of miniature scene-painting. One looks, searob.es, as if by instinct, for the wicked villain straggling in the yawning jaws of a stage alligator; and listens, to hear if "Die t-erraitor!" or "Berlood!" "Berlood!!" does not re-echo through the dark vistas of pine and tree-fern. And such treeferns ! But the other pioture makes amends for all. Nature had been very kind to the artist in presenting him with such a series of beautiful curves as the skeleton of his pioture; and by choosing the moments of the afterglow of a quiet sunset, he has invested the scene with a charm of oolouring that renders them doubly pleasing. No pronounced colours are employed; from the faint yellow where the sun has sunk, up to the cold blue of the snowy peaks, all the tints are deliriously soft, and melt into one another. Yet nothing is ragged, blurred, or indistinct. The mountain ridges are sharply cut, for all their softness, the water-line is clear and marked, the reflections pure and well-defined, as in that still, clear atmosphere would really be the case. The one little cloud sweeps naturally up into the sky from the highest point of the range, and all is repose. The few white gulls wheeling over the mirrorlike surface of the lake just break the dead stillness, and no more. In composition, finish, -drawing, and colouring alike, the picture is one the artißt may be proud of. Close beside this, which is one of the gems of the collection, may be noticed a scene on the same lake (29) by Mr T. S. Cousins, whioh well exemplifies the difference in style between the two artists at their best. Someone has had the good sense to poetess himself of this vigorous and truthful composition, whioh shows that freedom of touch and finish are not incompatible with one another. With bolder treatment and greater depth of oolouring, Mr Cousins has not missed the delicate handling necessary to such a scene j and in the skilful manipulation of the trees and water, his powers are particularly well manifested. Nob 11 and 5," A Flax Bwamp," and "Mount Barnßlaw," are other good instances of his best style; the former for its sky, the latter for its warmth of colouring and air perspective in the foreground and middle distance, and the careful painting of the cold mountain-tops. Mr J. Feele is one of our well known amateurs, whose style is gradually maturing. As he advances, he gains both force and clearness in his work. But his powers tend more to skilful draughtmanship than to correctness of colouring. The composition of his (11) "Mahinapua Biver" leaves little, indeed, to be desired ; and as a close observer of our native bush forms, he is almost unrivalled among our artists. The pioture in question shows these points very clearly ; it is a pretty little study of the wonderful effects to be obtained by the forcible application of simple means. The introduction of so large a body as the boat on the left, to intensify the shadow, is inharmonious. A pair of wild fowl would have been preferable, and more in keeping with the place; but for that the composition is well-nigh perfect. To the oolouring we take exception. His greens are too pronounced and garish. But herein he fails as many others do. To few, indeed, has the gift been given of catohing the colouring of our native bush. His other piotures (31), "Lake Wakatipu" (6), "Lake Mapourika," show the same appreciation of form, and the same mistakes in colouring. Mr Mainwaring has done better work, and chosen more attractive subjects before now than his sketchy (94) " Lutimer Square." Mr Beauobamp's two Tasmanian views (95) and (66) are noticeable for their quiet colouring; and are by no means undeserving of attention in other ways. Miss Home sends three contributions, all of North Island scenery, whioh are characteristic of her vigorous method j but she has evidently gathered her views on oolouring from some other than a New Zealand source. Messrs Neville and Atoherley are two artists who contribute many pictures to the exhibition, and who work on much the same linos. They are both fond of the sea and ships, and both have rather an uffection for a style of oolouring that is somewhat hard, cold, and wanting in depth. Of Mr Neville's efforts, the best are (2) "In tho Chops of tho Channel," and (103) " Waihi Biver." In the first, the wave-drawing is excellent; and the steam-tup enveloped in spray, and the plunging ship in tow, call up well-known scenes on the English coast very distinctly. His "Wild Bull" (10) is well conceived, but defective in execution j indeed, it was rather bold to roakosuoh a subject the " motive " of a water-colour sketch. Of Mr Atcherley's exhibits, the three most plossing are (98) " Maori Canoes," " Gisborae: Poverty Bay " (101), and "Soinde Island " (26). Tho first of the tiio it a charming little piece of colouring; and the last is a breezy, fresh, little marine study, wherein the painter's fondness for, and knowledge of ships oomes

prominently into actios. Mrs N. Wade sends a tiny piece of elaborate painting, entitled "Autumn." There are several examples of flower painting and ornamental plates, the handiwork of lady artisti, and one handpainted soreen. . Tho loan collection contains aomo valuable examples of the works of English artists, especially in the domain of water-colouring. Two gems are (128) and (127) by Oollingwood Smith. The first it mud* up of the aimpleat matorials—a winding moorland road, a tumble-down cottage, and a fow storm-polted wayf «rcrs. But io his treatment of the rainladen sky, and the redactions from the glistening wet roadway, the greatest effects are gaiood, by moans that onr local artists would do well to study oloiely. His groat elm in (127) "Evening" is a wonderful oxamplo of the happy results to he obtained from tho skilful handling of great maaiea of dark foliage, and the introduction of sharp lights through it, by the procoas known as "scumbling" But his manner, both of oomposition and colouring, would be dangerous weapons in leas master!; hands. "Tho Challenge" (111), a eketoh by Oattormole, will bo admired for its freedom, and tho action displayed in the figures contained in it. Two of Birkett Foatar's little peaceful cottage home scenes will delight those who are fond of'his finished, though somewhat " speokly " style j while those who are not will give thorn the tribute of praise for the knowledge of English country life displayed in them. Those who delight; in the wild soenery of moor and fell,; will linger long before (140) "Glen Shannon: Isle of Arran," by G. T. Hall. It ii a landsoape "of the mountain and the flood," seen through the misty veil of a rain-atorm; and the atmospherio effects are well worth studying. No. 181 is a copy of " Beynolds," by Mr W. M. Gibb, wherein ho has caught, something of the Devonshire artist's style, though he has misaed his peculiar gr«oe of manner. Chevalier's highly-coloured " Akaroa Harbour" (141), and some, others by the same artist, are not happy instanoss of his powers as a landscape painter, though they bear the impress of his peculiar talent Two points remain to be noticed in connection with the exhibition. The light is in many cases very unfavourable for certain piotures at the ends of the room ; this might be obviated by a judicious arrangement of blinds. Tho other point is the surprisingly thin attendance at the Gallery. Whether this is due to insufficient advertising of the Society, to simple apathy on the part of those who should know better, or to an idea that there is nothing worth going to see, it is hard to say. But the faot remains that it is a rare thing to meet more than l . three or four people at one visit to the exhibition. Those who pay the Boys' High Bohopl a visit, and come away with the impression that there is nothing worth seeing, must be limited in the general range of their faonlfciea, and more particularly in perception of what is good in painting. There are piotures there whioh make one break the. tenth commandment on the spot. To these, the gems of the gathering, and to others, displaying a wonderful amount of talent, considering the smallness and youth of the community, one can return many times with the renewed pleasure begot of old acquaintance. Others, indeed, there are, in whioh either imperfeot drawing or crude colouring, or both, are so painfully apparent, that the presence of such productions is a matter for wondering regret. But the exhibition must of necessity be a means of education for those who amuse themselves with pencil or brush, as well as for the general public In time, its refining influences will have rendered the appearance of such utter crudities almost impossible j and the Sohool of Arts will have produced a new generation of exhibitors, well-grounded in technicalities, and imbued with the requisite power of perception. No more fitting conclusion to our remarks can be found than the motto of the Society itself; and we firmly hope and believe that this exhibition is : Bes parva sed initiom non parvae - in New Zealand art; and as such we hail it, and offer our'hearty congratulations to those who have so successfully inaugurated the " Canterbury Society of Arts."