SOCIETY OF ARTS EXHIBITION.

Observer, Volume 4, Issue 85, 29 April 1882, Page 102

SOCIETY OF ARTS EXHIBITION.

The Exhibition of the Society of Arts was closed on Wednesday. Most of our Auckland readers, we suppose, have visited the Exhibition, and have discussed the merits of the pictures, as well as the merits of the various pretty and beautiful things on the ladies' tables. The newspaper critics have, we think, given a pretty fair estimate of the talents of the artists and their amount of progress since last year. As we think it is the duty of the Press to lead and instruct the public in artistic matters, the Observer is bound to give its opinion, and to point out the deficiencies as well as the merits of the exhibits. These exhibitions are the best test of an artist's abilities. If an artist declines this test, in most cases we suspect that he is afraid of contrasting his works with those of others. Here the art critic has rather an easy time of it, for, except photos, we have no portraits, no studies of the figure, history or domestic pieces to pronounce an opinion upon. We shall begin from the centre of the upper part of the hall. Decorated door panels, Mrs M. C. Clark we think deservedly carries off the prize. Mrs Clark has shown good taste in the selection of her subject, which has a rather more conventional style of treatment than any of the other panels, these designs are mere copies from nature. All the panels have considerable merit, and are nicely painted ; Mr S. Keesing seems to have an especial gift for this kind of work, and he comes very near to the prize winner. This kind of decorative art is very fashionable amongst the English ladies, it gives them an opportunity of showing their taste for art and aesthetics, which means sentiment, feeling, and imagination. We observe that in Class, 2-11 it is suggested that the designs should be conventionally treated. It appears to us that the competitors have not understood this suggestion. We hope the ladies who have taken up this kind of art will not rest satisfied with what they have done, but next year show a larger spirit of invention, and a greater range of selections, they must not be content with the wild climatis and a few other shrubs and flowers. * With regard to conventional treatment, there is a disagreement, amongst the critics, Dr Dresser, in his lecture at South Kensington on the art of Decorative Design, says — " The more you depart from imitation the more conventionally ideal, abstract, or typical you render ornament, the more mind and invention you display. We are in favour of both methods, The great artists of the 15 and 16th centuries — Ghiberti, Raphael, and others made use of both systems. We see in their pictures and designs, Naturalism and Conventionalism made use of in a most beautiful and wonderful manner according to the requirements of their subjects. The oil pictures are, most of them, placed in a good light. The light has been somewhat improved by the cleaning of the windows since last j ear. Mr Gibb's pictures first attract our attention; his subjects are well chosen, and there is a nice tone about them. Where he has to paint water, the ripple or waves have a pleasing effect. His representations want figures. The works of all the great landscape painters suggest something besides a mere view. They aim at j

some kind of story or poetic sentiment. Mr Gtibb's productions are too near the class of pictures called furniture pictures. Mrs McOosh Clark has two pictures of waterfalls. These, we think, are the best paintings Mrs Clark has done of Auckland scenery • they show a considerable power of arrangement and selection. If this lady were to devote more of her time to painting, our Auckland artists would have to look to their laurels. Mr Bloomfield has some nice pictures. He has advanced since last year, and will, we have no doubt, make further progress when he has acquired a greater power in selecting the beautiful and " leaving out the ugly and common place. The effect of one of his pictures is injured by the bad arrangement of lines, and the introduction of figures in the wrong place. Mr Drurnmond would, we think, have done better if he had painted fewer pictures. He should try a different style of colouring. Both his lights and shadows want more warmth in them. Some of his smaller pictures are very good in effect, and have an approach to a poetic feeling. They only want points of light and colour to give them (what artists call) a lift. Mr Ball has improved ve,ry much since last year, and his pictures have many admirers. This is because he tries to imitate nature, and does not affect any one kind of tone or colour, and avoids the oleograph sentiment. Mr Whitaker, we see, is represented by only one picture. What Mr Whitaker's intentions are in this picture we know not, but we do not see any beauty in nature which is the colour of porter mixed with it, or in tree stems of a whity brown or slate colour, or in little patches of different colours meant for foliage. The natives are certainly like natives, but they look old and starved. We have been up the Waikato and Thames rivers, and we have there seen grand trees, whose stems require a master like Titian to do them justice ; foliage and reflections in the water, which would tax the powers of the best modern artists to give anything like a representation of. And as to natives, we have seen specimens that Michael Angelo himself would have been delighted to make studies from. Mr Albin Martin has several pictures. His style is so well-known that we need not criticise his productions. During the exhibition we heard more than one person say " I can always tell Mr Martin's pictures ; they are different from the others ! " In water-colour painting the exhibition is very weak. Mr Sturtevant's picture of fern trees is the only one of any pretensions. This being a success, we hope to see more works of his at the next exhibition. The Misses Home have some sketches and pictures which evince a feeling for natural effects and a love for the beautiful. Careful study and much practice is the only thing wanted to make them both good artists. The loan collection is a good one, and the thanks of the public are due to the owners of the pictures, who have allowed their treasures to be. seen by the public. The ancient Greeks were of opinion that works of art belonged to the public, and, if possessed by individuals, they were merely held in trust for the public benefit. ! The prizes were awarded as follows : — Door panels, Mrs J. M. Clark ; S. E. Keesing commended ; Miss Harris, designs for fans ; Miss Leech, flowers on white satin, commended ; Miss White, tile design ; Miss Martin, flowers ; Master W. Clayton (pupil of Mr Watkin) drawing from the round ; Miss Nellie Williams, drawing from the flat. The drawing for the art union resulted as follows :— 428, £4, J. E. Haven ; 485, £3, W. Doran ; 429, £2, W. J. Moginie ; 560, £20, J. Bdson ; 73, £4, E. Keats ; 77, £5, A. Dewar ; 585, £4, J. McCosh Clark; 269, £4, T. Peacock; 277, £5, W. A. Mears; 10, £2, W. Aitken ; 38, £5, H. B. Morton ; 480, £4, Mrs C. Alison ; 587, £10, Jno. Swanson ; 39, £10, J. Chambers ; 601, £4, W. S. Wilson ; 390, £3, W. Easdown ; 427, £3, Mr Boylan ; 266, £6, A. Clark ; 13, £3, W. Burton ; 475, £2, J. J. Holland ; 489, £2, W. Foughey ; 83, £5, E. Patterson.