194 PRESIDENTS ADDRESS—SECTION I. 
years, under the condition that the holder shall send back to the 
colony in each of the first two years a copy of some recognised 
painting by one of the old masters, and at the close of the third 
year an original one by himself. The present holder of this 
valuable prize, Mr. Longstaff, had shown great promise before 
proceeding to Europe ; “but the. tirst picture sent back, ‘“ The 
Entombment of Christ” (Titian) indicates a marked advance, due 
no doubt in great measure to careful study of the works of those 
dead Sovereigns of Art “who still rule our spirits from their urns.” 
Other Australian artists are making surprising progress in the 
home studios, one or more of their pictures, including one from 
the artist just named, having been honoured by admission 
to the Paris Salon. Locally, the names of the Tasmanian 
artists, Piguenit and Dowling (the latter not long deceased), 
are well known. In flower painting, the truly exquisite 
productions of Mrs. Rowan’s pencil are deservedly appreciated, 
and ‘have found a fame” far beyond the range of the 
Australias, while the flora of Tasmania has worthy local 
exponents in Miss Hall and other native artists. The superior 
work of many home artists, either permanently or temporarily 
resident in our midst, claims public admiration at annual 
exhibitions, and finds a place in many a choice private collection ; 
but special notice of this lies, of course, beyond the scope 
of these remarks. As Architectural Drawing, however, comes 
under this head, I should be glad to draw attention briefly to 
some instances of its practical application, which I venture to 
think indicate a violation of certain elementary canons of the 
art itself. We are authoritatively told by writers on the subject 
that ornamentation, when in the form of architectural features, 
should point to some practical purpose, or give the idea of utility 
as 1ts very raison @étre. Pillars or Caryatides, for instance, 
when introduced merely as ornaments, should seem to support 
something, which, of course, must bear a due proportion to its 
supports. So also in the case of a balustrade or parapet. This 
no doubt is a very effective and impesing ornament along the 
sky-line, but as the essential and primary purpose of a balustrade 
or parapet must be to give protection to persons behind it, it is 
clear this idea should always be practically carried out by 
making the flanking walls at least to correspond with it in 
height ; otherwise the raised front, unsupported, or but partially 
so, is visibly unfit for its essential function, and thus becomes a 
palpable sham and pretentious delusion. Yet in innumerable 
instances in every direction, owing to the absence of art to 
conceal art, we see this sham front rearing its painfully absurd 
elevation, and proclaiming itself to be a mere excrescence on the 
building, and not, as it should seem to be, a useful and integral 
portion of it. In some cases this inartistic front may have 
been designed with the idea that neighbouring buildings would 
