SOCIETY OF ARTS' EXHIBITION.

Observer, Volume 6, Issue 137, 28 April 1883, Page 89

SOCIETY OF ARTS' EXHIBITION.

We cordially congratulate the Society o£ Arts upon the meritoriouaness of their exhibition this year, upon its financial success, and upon the taste displayed by those of its members upon whom devolved the task of hanging the jMKtures and suitably fitting up the hall. SuchHwrge number of works of art has never been £^^|Ad here before, while in many respects tj^^^^^k decided improvement in quality. bestow unqualified praise upon any °H^^^H[ hibibs, nor is it to be expected, for our a^^^^^H the opportunities for study, and lack that are only to be acquired by travel ana^^^H. research amongst the historic art ren^^H^^^B \ the world. Bearing this in mind, tm^^^^^^m reason to feel gratified at the degre^^^H^^^Bk . skill, and capacity for original tijH^^^^^^^H our artist^manifest. Mr K. the^SH^Hßment place in tfIUHHHMI^H r JK^B^BK large and admirable pictur^^M J^E^^^Ub- a g on Waikato River." So m uj^^H lavished upon it" that a word^^H can hardly be ob£gj|ted B^^^Hfures of the picture are the reimstic^^MH H^B^e of the clear, translucent water, and treatment of the lights and shades, and woolly character of the foli^^H H^the river bank is a serious defect. In [second picture, " The Awakening Scene," V^| rising bank of mist is too solid. There is doubt that the black colour of the inner fran^fl work brings out into relief the char^^H of both paintings. Mr J. Q-ibbs' " WrflH of the City of Perth" is a far less pre^^H sious picture than Mr Watkins' large P ne J^H| it will bear comparison with it, the curting^^^H semi-transparent waves showing a remari^^^H degree of verisimilitude. "Meditation" i^^Hh W. M. G-ibbs' best effort, and of Mr C^H Blomfield's twelve exhibits we should hav^^^H hesitation in awarding the palm to his "Above the Waitakerei Falls." This artra^^H facile princess in the delineation of our chara<jSH teristic flora. Mr Albin Martin's landscape's ar«^ as striking for their characteristic tints, painstaking, • ; care and detail. His chef d'oewore is a view of the ■/. Waikato, taken from an elevated point. The.; great breadth and reach which this artist Mas - - comprised in this comparatively miniature! pic-.'.* ture, and its truth to nature, are enough to distinguish him as a genuine student, of fjha : j picturesque. Mr Martin has painted a /s cone *: with which he is perfectly familiar, and which he , has studied under all lights. Mr' T.Ti. DruinV^.. mond's pictures are remarkable for their pro- -i fusion of blue. Both gentlemen have undoubted ability, the former especially so. Mr S^ Stuart, i will have to give greater attention to his cloud and atmospheric effects if he wishes "to excei,^\ besides moderating the verdancy of his foliageV ; His "Morning in the Bush" is the best produef- •'; tion of his brush that he exhibits. Mr J},&,f) Trevithick should be more careful of details when li ' he depicts local scenery. The railing at the, end- ' of the eastern outer tee of Queen-street; Wharf^ v, upon which, he has perched a disciple of .'lsaak' ' : Walton, is an emanation of the painterVsensie i'6fi^ the fitness of things, for it never existed: ■- There./' is, too, an excess of colour in this picture,* b6tE T ok,l/; water and sky. Mrs J. M. Clark's >be6eh^tr'6e|| and Scotch fir are finely pour brayed, -and £lmkß small landscapes, on canvas and oh articles df^jH plastic art, are natural. Mr Ball hasnj^atr|(^^B a mannerism of tint that n^^^ttMHte|jH^H otherwise his pictures fjMf^^^^^^^^^^^^^^l Kussell, as a newspap^jfl^^^H^^^^^^^^^H remarks, too slavish^^^^H|^^H^^^^^U^^H her pretty fancy S^^^^H^^^^H^^^^^^H > and Fif " is cley^^^^^^^^H^^^^^^^^H portrait painter^^^H^^^^^^^^H^^^^^^H deserve praise^M^^H^^H^^^^^^^^^|^^| Mr S. R. criticism . provAJM^y^HH^^HHHj^^^^^^^^^^^H