George Wishart : Art Notes

xhi esNeitr by Nave aorsiety of "etet se this week. was tally creditable fur Brisbane. Certainly Mr. George Wishart and a few other artiste, who imagine themselves to be radiate, painted some ':gores such as are nut to he found on earth, in the heavens above, or in the water, under the earth. (I believe I ones used that comparison in the hazy past, bet 'dean undiaeovered scratcher whet never repents herself.) Mr. Wishart is an ambitious artist, He is not satisfied to take up a bola:Lion or even a homestead lease, but puts his figures, improve:neuts, eta, on a vast rgetating area of canvas, which he femme 441131 gilt. No doubt he de. river' great, satisfaction from the oontemple- Mon of his huge possessions. The Rev. C. E. James has put a price on his pictures (the geutlemau is without a regular parish just now), and a few of them are almost worth - I the money. A picture which sent me back into Gippsland was Mrs. Grout's " Home - steed of the Early Days." A local critic) says that "the lines should have beeu softer," but I was looking for realism, not faults, and it beamed to me that iu Mrs. Groat's picture I found it. One needs to have aeon the original to know whether or not a repre- : nentettieu Is true in treatment and detail. Mies W. Berry shows several seascapes. In several pictures by Mr. Grout the artist shows that he has studied the sea in all its moods, and hie color effects are very real. Mrs. Holmes's miniatures are 1 beautiful little specimens, and she has been careful to choose three beautiful subjects. Mr. Oxlade has evidently discovered a dwarfish breed of bovine, and though his efforts at fame are Brohdlognagian, his oows ,are Lilliputians. But there really is not much to condemn in the collection. Even Mr. Wishart, who would be a eapitaI hand at painting a cyclorama effect, a background far a melodrama, or anything on a huge /scale and to be used for far-off purposes, succeeds very well with his fire -alarm picture, and one almost expecte to hear the men in charge of the engine shout terrifying shouts, after the ' approved local fashion. New Society of Artists. A meeting of the new society of artists was held at Mr. Oscar Fristrom's atutim last evening. There were present Messrs. G. H. M. Addison, 0. Fristrom, G. Wishart, 14. Elliott, B. G. Burt, V. Day, and E. Colclough (hon. secretary). Mr. Addison presided. Apologies were received frortf Mrs. Percy Berry, Mies Berry, and Mr. \Vette. Satisfactory progress was reported in connection with the exhibition of pic- tures to he held in the Albert Hall short- ly. It was expected that the s lection committee would have between seventy and eighty pictures before them on Sat- urday afternoon. The catalogue will be made a pleasing memento of the exhibition, and will be presented free to exhibitors. RANDALII-Itichard John, died 15th October. 1,Am his 88th year'. A. OW life just verging to its prime, And cultured it zenith of its power ; No heights toArt too hlah to date to climb And win renown. Death °hose that fateful hour t Hut who shall say, tlao' dead, the Painter doll not live In glorious pieturepoems Clod privileged him to give l , lrerkdale. . G. R. in Active ti e. A man who has always been active-' always doing sotuethlng in the way of business-cannot withdraw entirely fro;n' active pursuits without permanent iiijary. Enforced idleness becomes irksome, and ba is unable to enjoy himself. lie cm - 'scantly longs for the bustle and routine of business. his mind lacks occupation, and simply rusts from the inactivity unusual' an energetic man. in other words, a lthough aware thut his system needs rest, I, Is active mind will not permit him' to rust. He finds he has adhered so closely to business that it is difficult to wean hilt - !It from It. Instead of Wising physical .)enoftt fr m relaxation, it Is a positive ). 'Jury to him, because of his natural indl. to rest. lie cannot throw aside his business habits ; ho Must have something to do. Ho learns that ho should have accustomed himself to little periods of recreation all through life, and not postponed his luiliclay until he had lost the capacity to enjoy it. Every :tensible man, who has the means and opportunity, recuperates himself by frequent pauses for recreation. Ho does not defer his period of pleasure until the closing months of a worn-out life. Ho is too wise to expec. Impossibilities of Nature-the recuperation of an utterly ex -I hausted body. He has had his comfort and enjoyment in due s'ason. and is grate- ful to heaven that he possesses the means to procure all the comforts of life, which he wisely uses to prolong Ills existence. A man's nature, Bacon tells us, runt either to 'limbs or weeds ; therefcre ' should seasonably water the one and c' stroy the oilier. Death of Mr. V. C. Prinsep. R.A. LONDON, November 13. The d ath is announced ofMr. Valen- tine C. Prinsep, R.A., aged 68 years. Mr.' Prinsep was a retired major of Ar- tist Volunteers. He first- exhibited at the Royal Academy fa1863, and has ex- hibited every year since. He was a pro- fessor of painting to 'the academy, and in 1876 went to India to paint the, de- claration of Queen Victoria as Empress. He also wrote several books and plays. New Society of Artists. A general meeting of the New Society of Artists was held on Wednesday even- ing. Amongst those present were : Messrs. Fristrom, Burt, Wished, Maguire, Elmes, Woods, Campbell, and Colelough. Three new members' were proposed -for election. After completion of the business of the meeting on 'hour or two was spent in sketch- ing from the life. Some very interesting sketches were the result, and these were given -to Mr. Campbell as a memento of his fiest evening with the members. Mr. Campbell is connected with the "Western Champion" at Birealdine, and has been spending a holiday in Brisbane. Ile made some sketches at -Hurnpybong, which the exhibited at the meeting. IN LONDON' F. df, P., for the "Observer." I have paid any second visit to the National Gallery, and really made Mlle acquaintance will' Ile. Old Masters. I was dl -appointed when I wv before, they looked such a musty lot. The chit, objection to the Gallery is that all the plotting are <kirk, and are covered with glass so that they reflect everything that Is in the room. When you appromei a huge frame you gee, at first,, nothing but yourself for fongrounud, and all room behind you. It seems to me that Turner very much Influenced Whistler, especially in him Venetian works. They (the works have practically no detail, but are Nat one haze et colour, with 'splendid atmospheric effect ; the figures are hard, but if the colour, as is said, is gone, there is a great deal remaining. Ile coin - passes huge expatiate of Nature. I like the that, 801001 best of all ; there is such un bounded tretchnu and life, and they draw such difficult ,positIona of figures so well. It readies Its 'climax in Veronese land Titian. The schools of Lombanly and Parma are very cold and still after the Venetian, and the German is no lest so, although Hans Mb :in is good. Murillo and Velasquez are just excellent, and so very master. MI, full of life and perfectly natural. 'fliers is also great strength In Van Llyek'a figures. ttulaena's are fine temptation pictures, with graceful figures and greet warmth in colouring. The Dutch school is splendid for still life, and Rembrandt a portraits are truly great ; such, body, warmth, and breadth of colour, and he painted more old people than pretty girls. Beat. celli (Tuscan school) is ohmic. but rather thin.. Gainsiximugh's flesh is so yellow and dissipated. looking, and his backgrounds are so theatrical, but lie gets a harmonious whole. There were number of visitor, to the Gallery, many of them armed with Baedeckens. and there was always little group In front of the picture which that mute of travel" _spears of. True otter day 1 anent among the Moderns et the Tate Gallery. Every picture in the place Is good ; there isn't an atom of pudding among them. Millais is wonderfully versatile, anal has; executed a great variety of styles and ituldeeta,1 but I like Waterhouse best of all ; he in my ideal. Watts's works a e full of religion, and he seems to have put Its whole soul into them, but they are too vast and ethereal to be snore than partly comprehended. In a Brisbane window there used to bean engraving of " speak, speak," by Millais. The original is here, and is just fine. The vision at the front of the bed has a white dress, with coronet, girdle and necklet of diamonds, which shine, This must have been very difficult to produce, on white, but I don think vou can see the effect in the enananin. In " The Doctor," by Luke Fildes, there is a' good t.entrast between the light from the lamp and the early morning light wining in from the window. anhrat. was on too, view in the same. Brisbane New Society of Artists. A meeting of the New Society ofAr- Hats was held on Thursday at Mr. Oscar Fristrom's studio, and amongst those pre- sent were Messrs. Addison, Wishart, Fristrom, Oolclough, Watts, Maguire, Elutes, Woods, and May. Ms, Addison presided. It was decided that the opening day for the society's annual exhi- bition should be October 25. Mr. Fris- trom *dated that whilst in Sydney recently promiies had been made tocetim; by well- known Sydney artists to seneomp pictures for the exhibition. The secretary was de- sired to furnieh the artiste with full par- ticulars. The society has formed a sketch- ing club, which meets every alternate Friday in aroom at Moon's Buildings, for , the purpose of drawing irons ehelife. Out- door sketching trips are arranged for other days. NEW SECOND Time axone Society fAt the Colonial I street. The I suited for tic from above Ii The pictures dred. it They tween mks tea gratifying to note the goner Among the aro tat, Brooke -I lanset the Carl? ival. ' ' lanterns in tint It is a charm taste nd skill don, Bendigo, Sydney, whet favour. The is " i-t ree,' a five tree of th gloom beneath Eight canvat Wishart, inclu near Launcesi faithfulness tee best effect in c of Cataract tic pipes running has not °mitt', his picture. ' cellent, and " canvas in the e ;tation of the watering place artists. Ant ''through rail raging flames," glare of the fl glans, the excit care, and not this class of a" flickering gas 1 gine aro guava success. More r a group of keit bushmen. THE Ca PRIVAT TIro., 0, Cull,' we° grosierij;, air ten- days. e I Naturaliste I anti Captain the crew ill. .31hose in iii time after 1.1 boat. Thse ratione. itnd t with salt wet this, and devt tea water. t tenter ate r. and seemed t.' quently found manned Brigg water was let t visions gave the smoke of selves unnotiee saw the Cape 4-