THE EXHIBITION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7706, 7 January 1905, Page 2

THE EXHIBITION.

A QUAINT DAY OH -FRIDAY.

| The disagreeable weather on Frl- J 'day caused the attendance at the I 1 | exhibition to be below the average, | ■though even so the sum of £SO was taken. There were no outside attractions, the visitors, however, findi g plenty to occupy themselves j lowing the exhibits and attending Mo side shows. So far as can be ascertained at present the receipts to date total £,'6200 { and estimates of ! .the cost of running the exhibition I jvary from £3500 to £IOOO. I I Fifteen of the inmates of tho Old People's Home, including two wo- I men, attended yesterday as tin ' guests of the committee, who also ' provided lea. The old people took I 'Keen in the exhibits, and were not slow to criticise in styles characteristic of their age. I 'J'he Maoris were nlso provided with a treat, for they were? taken to the breakwater by train—a novel .experience for many of them. The ( Karawa was likewise a scene of wonderment to the visitors, who were hospitably received by Captain Norpury and his oilicers. The Maoris showed a sensitiveness which would put many Europeans lo shame, for jvhen they saw that their dripping clothes made the saloon and cabins dirty, they stoutly refused to remain down below, as they were unwilling to give the sailors and stewards 1 extra work, I Owing to the wet weather the display of the fire extinguisher was put off. The slide for life was postponed till to-day, owing to the wire not arriving: in time fur placing in Rositionj i THE ART SECTION. I One of the most attractive adjuncts of the exhibition is the art , socti on, housed in the Central j School buildings. Here between , five and six hundred pictures are t hung ;in addition to these there is . a large and interesting exhibit of , curios and other forms of artistic production. The pictures as a class are of considerable merit, though f naturally there are many whose > only destiny is -to be "skyed." ' Many of the pictures have additional " value to colonials, for they mark ' the birth of art in these lands, ' though child-like her efforts are as yet undefined and undeveloped on any given trend of expression. To i old residents of the district the series of views of old Sew Plymouth ■ ..will appeal strongly. These are lent iI by Mr W. li. Skinner, and date I back to the ycry earliest days of I the settlement, giving a very con- • vincing idea of the progress mado 1 by the town during the past few years. Especially interesting are , the views depicting the settlement . in 1814, 1860, and 18(53. Tho pic- . tares include water colours, pencil . sepia and oils, JUDGE'S COMMENT, The judge, Mr David E, Hutton, 1 A.M. and S.IC. London, made the folj lowing comments on the pictures sent 1 iu for competition : "A Breezy Day near Plymouth," by W. Gibbons, 1865, is an excellent . example of a marine painter's work. , The skilful handling of the clouds and sea will be a valued object lesK son for beginners to study. This ~ work retains all the freshness of the L scene it represents, in spite of its 1 age,: 2 Another old master which arrests t our attention is a "Sunset" by Gainsborough. This Is a very good e.xamyle of the old master's way of handling a pastoral scene. The placing of the shepherd and flock of sheep in the foreground, relieving j the darkness of the heavy shadows in the trees, completes the perfect composition of the whole picture. No. 136, "Denizens 'of the Highlands," after Rosa Bonheur. This picture has all the beauty and ' enspness of an original piece of work by the most famous woman ..artist "that has lived. The animal" in the .foreground has the fire in its eye which one sees in the wild Highland 1 | cattle. The skilful painting of the 5 ,animal and rocks in the foreground s iwill repay close study. The whole i. I picture is excellent. ,- | "A Rural Scene," by Turner, de- - picts a river in the centre of the s picture, with cattle crossing a - ford. The sun is setting behind the ) trees in the left handcorner ; a fair ! sample of his work. t "'the Marriage of St. Katherine," .by Rubens, is the next picture to arrest the eye. The specimen, al- . though small, contains some very ' fine work. The grouping of the iigures is very finely done, and the drapery gracefully hangs on the figJ* ures. 0. F. Goldie is represented by five large canvases. The most important is the portrait of Mr Swanson, M.L.C. The posing of the figure is natural, and the colour is ■ very good, the greys in the face be--1 ing skilfully handled. A little more warmth iij the reflected lights in ttos chepk wpuid have made a perfect piece of portraiture. His Maori - heads pall forth much praise, cst pecially No. 536, "Huratai," and f 537, "Meditation." t A very creditable study of ship- - ping is shown in No.-620, "A Mis- [' ty Morning," beautifully painted by 3 J. Mcbauchlan in 1877. a Another study, No. 455, by E / Goldsmith, A.H.1., "in the Dock,"' i lent by D. E. Hutton, also shows f what the great masters study—- - note tho skilful drawing in the forc--2 shortening of the ship in the fore--3 ground. The late J nines M. Nairn is represented by a very line specimen „of his work, "Autumn Blooms,''' , lent by Mr Hutton. The flowers in ! the foreground illuminated with sunlight, and the. dark blue sky 1 .stand in strong contrast to the .colour of the foreground. This pic- . turc is a good example of theGlas- , gow school wherein Nairn was edu- , cated. No. 468, "Head of an Italian . Girl," unnamed, lent by Mrs Keid, , is a splendid specimen of painting, * the technique being excellent. No. 148, "He-turn of the Boats," is a study sketch from a picture by ' Hfldip. This work is a little gem, ' thP grpiiping of the figures and - general comppsilipn being excellent. (!. Butler has several cunvases. The ■ most important is "Return from J Church," representing a Dutch peasant girl on her way through a wooded path. The artist has been very successful in treating the lighting of the church spire and houses f in the distance illuminated by the - selling sun. He has two Alpine i Scenes, " Mount, Barnshaw" and 2 "Mount Copk," the latter the more > pleasing pf thp two.' The picture lacks distaiyjo, which mukes the - mountain appear too close, The " peak is carefully studied and the 5 colour is good. No.. 120, "The Dyke, Essex," is a pleasing coastal study ; the distance is well painted, and the artist has succeeded in obtaining the desired 1 effect. ; "Thro'the Bush," by E. Pay lon, i is a large and one of the most im- - porlant of this artist's exhibits. It r represents a stage coach passing ' through a bush road. The general _ handling is Aery good, and the painting of the bush is good. The coach and figures are rather hard in their delineations. Another work is "The Pohuhi Geyser," bv tho same artist, which is ol interest. T. L. DrumnioiKi is represented by i three large pictures. The best is a , sunset, "Whangarei," representing - part of the bay, the distant hill 1 standing out in strong relief against tho setting sun. This picture is very I pleasing in effect. I In "Summer Day, Whangarei," by . the same artist, the sky is bright ; and sunny. The distance is good, j but the right hand foreground could be greatly improved upon by the , introduction of more careful paint- | ing anij details, thus making it a t yej-'y fine picture. . No, 54a; '"Drifting Clouds," is a . very pleasing picture. " [ dolm Elder MoHltrny is represented by two large pictures of Otira Gorge and a '"Moonlight Ef- [ feet," No. 169, on the Hunter River and one of Lake Manapouri from the , Wniruu River, The former is the best, the distant hills being careful),/ paintedy Those works are after the pre-Hafaellito style, resorting to glazes for the final effect, and are in direct opposition to Newlyn, Glasgow, .Julian or Slade school teaching, which insists on an artist painting direct from nature, and not from a pencil sketch., Miss 11. Bloinlield's painting of a group of still life o'ruit) is Rood, but the peach in Hie foreground is not round. ' ! • •■'■ >

C. .Shprifl has only .one picture, depicting a wave, and the work is not so good p. specMicn as ho has J«ejfe>usly shown. IBiore is Bomo

J. Kirkwood shows several studies of various parts of New Ze a land. The most noticeable are "Current Basin, French Pass," and "Shag River," "All Ready," by Mr Hutton, represents the start of a yacht race at Dunedin. Tho water is carefully studied. ' t "The Old Fish Wharf, Dunedin," gives the scene at early morning af- , ler a night of toil. No. 103, a decorative panel with a figure of W. Lilber, shows promise. The composition is good, but the figure is faulty in drawing. , No. 370, panel of purple iris, by N. 1). Connett. The drawing and : painting; are good, but more cure should bo exercised in the composi- ] | tion to consider fully the form of .the surface to be decorated. THE AWARDS. I Best picture of any kind.—No. 134, "A Breezy Day near Ply- ' mouth," by W. J. Gibbons, 1809, I lent by Mr Hawlings ; gold modal. No. 150, "Sunset," by ■ Gainsborough, lent by Mr Alexander ; silver medal and second diploma. Oil painting.—No. 188, "The Marriagc of St. Katherine," by Rubens, lent by Miss Carrington; third diploma. Water colour.—No. 436, "Droving Sheep," by A. Hanson, 1 ; No. 568, "A Southern Alpine Valley," bv J. Gully, 2. Landscape in oils.—No. 150, ."Sunsett," by Gainsborough, i ; No. 543, "Sunset," by F. h. Drummond, 2. Figure study in oils.—'No. 188. "Marriuge of St. Katherine," Rubens, lent by Miss Carrington, 1 ; No. 540, "Portrait of Mr Swanson, M.L.C.," by C. F. Goldie, 2. Oil (Still life).—No. 326, by Miss B. Bloomfield, 1 ; No. 506, "Geraniums," by G-. M. Liuibrick, 2. Water colour landscape.—No. 436, by Albert Hansen, 1 ; Nd. 568. by J. Gully, 2. Water colour ' figure.—No. 434, "Italian Fishwife," by Miss kins, 1 ; No. 310, "My Garden," Miss E. C. Smith, 2. Still life (water colour).—No. 220, "Strife," lent by Mr F. Colson, 1 ; No. 216, "Fruit," by, F. Spence, lent by Mrs ■Gaukrodgcr, 2. Monocromo (landscape).—No. 313, 'Flowers," lent by H. Penlington, 2. Pastel landscape,—No. 477, "Cathe dral Peaks," by J. I). Perret, 1 ; No. 478, "Milford Sounds," 2. Engraving (mezzo tints).—No. 449, 'The Woman Taken in Adultery," by Rembrandt, engraved by B. Phillips, lent by Mrs Kyngdon, 1. Wood engraving (line).—"The Raising of the Cross," engraved by \Visdoek (a pupil of Rubens), after Rubens, 1633, lent by Mrs Alexander, Etchings.—4s3, "Christ on Calvary," etched by M. dc Munkaesy, lent by Dr. Leatham, 1 j No. 452, "Defence of Rorke's Drift," A. de Nowville, etched by Flemming, lent by Dr, Leatham, 2, WORKS BY LIVING • NEW ZEALAND ARTISTS. Oil painting.—No. 540, '-'Portrait of Mr Swanson, M.L.C." by C. F. Goldie, gold medal ; No. 100, "Returning from Church," by G. E. Buthy. 2 ; No. 543, "Sunset," by F. L- Drummond, 3' Water colour.—No.- 431, "Susannah," by Miss F. Hodgkins, 1 ; No. 520, "Wcstgatc, Warwick," Barraud, 2. Monocrome (sepia).—No. 313, lent! by Mr 'Penlington, 3. ' Pen or ink wort;'.—Np. 590, by Mr Gordon, special and first. Pen and ink sketch.—No. 256, "The Old Church," lent by ,11. Penlington, Pencil sketch.—No. 450, lent by Mrs Kyngdon, 1. Hand'painted plaque.—No. 124, "Hoses," by Alice J. Ward, 1. Panel painted from nature. —No. 370, "Iris," and 371, "Iris,"- both by N. D. Connett, 1 ond 2. Panel painted copy.—No. 26, "Hoses," by A, J. Ward, 1. Hand-painted mirrors.—No . 321, "Huia," by C. Blpomiield, 1. • FARMERS' SECTIOM. The extension of time granted in . the farmers' section resulted in one or two of the farmers sending in exhibits, though numerically the disi play cannot bo regarded as other than poor. In quality, however, tho standui-d was exceptionally high throughout. Mr Talc, the judge, speaking of Mr C. Penwarden's exhibit of potatoes, said it was one of ! the best he had ever judged. There ■ were 37 Varieties included. The collections of vegetables were also very 'good for the season. An excej>Blly good exhibit was the collection of farm produce, shown by the j Misses Tate, aged 15 and 17 respectively. The exhibit was most comprehensive, and included 84 different, articles, all the produce of their father's farm. Included in tho list were : A sucking pig, sides of bacon, fowls, turkeys, eggs, bread, butter, milk, cream, honey, jams, jellicSf, pickles, preserves, potatoes, carrots, onions, parsnips, and many other vegetables, apples, gooselier-, ries, pours, lemons, wine, wool, lamb skin mat, wheat, oats, barley, clover, cocksfoot, fescue, and other grasses, and, of course. New Zealand flax. Awards in this section are as follows : rflb Separator butter.—J. H. Were, , Oakura, 1 ; C. Gledhill, Mangorei, , 2 ; Mrs C. Evans, Omnia, c. 31b Farmers' pan butter.—Mrs J. Kibby, Fitzroy, 1. Fancy butter.—F. Pcppci'ill, New Plymouth, gold medal. Collection white potutoes.—C. Pen- . warden 1, J. Burgess 2, C. M. Kyng- , don 3. Collection red potatoes.—F. Pcpperill 1, B. S. LongstafV 2, C. Penwarden 3, G. Blanchard h.c, C. M. Kyngdon c. Collection farm produce.—G. V. Tate, Waitara, 1 and h.c. Collection onions.—B. S. Longstaff 1. Collection root crops.—B. S. Longstnff 1. Open class, other exhibits.—Mrs Salt, Vogt.'ltOwn (eggs) 1. TO-DAY'S ATTRACTIONS. The attractions today include free orchestral concerts, Zadoni's wondrous sKdo for life, besides the ordinary side shows.