LITER A TURE A ND ART. -xw 



tliat tliose advantages, tliougli paid for by the many, are enjoyed 

 mainly by the few, and they for tlie most part people well able to 

 afford them. But without going into that vexed question, it is clear 

 that the present system of divided control of art education is very 

 defective, and far from giving the best results either to the pujjils or 

 the public. They manage this matter much better in Victoria, where 

 the control is entirely in the hands of the Government, and the classes 

 are conducted in direct connection with the National Art Gallery. 

 There is also the excellent institution of travelling art scholarships, 

 whereby the exceptional talent of the country is enabled to complete 

 its education in the great art centres of the old world. True, the genius 

 thus assisted to wing its flight to fairer fields of art may seldom ri-'turn ; 

 but even so, that is not altogether a dead loss, since one of the condi- 

 tions of the assistance is the supply to the Colony of a ])icture or statue, 

 original and copied, while there must always be the satisfaction of 

 having served the cause of art. It will not be the least of this country's 

 many obligations to the present Government should it carry out its 

 declared intention of shortly introducing a similar system here. 



As to the possibilities of art in this countiy, they are, of course, 

 from the purely artistic point of view, simply limitless. As we said, 

 nature is new in this young laud, and must have a thousand yet 

 undiscovered charms and mysteries for the discerning eyes which 

 lovingly study her. Why, we know a mountain in this country. Mount 

 Imlay, the mere study of whose fleeting frowns and smiles, lights and 

 shadows, might last an artist a lifetime. There are atmospheric effects 

 to be caught here that no Turner ever dared, or that only the poet who 

 sang of " the light that never was on sea or land,^' ever dreamt of. 

 Then there are the infinite diversities of country and climate, con- 

 sequently of scenery and surroundings, life and occupation, therefore 

 of character, of which the pages of this book so fully tell — all or 

 most of them new to art, fresh as from a creator to the artist's hand. 

 But in truth the possibilities of art in this country, as in any, are 

 only to be limited by the capabilities of the artists, and in the present 

 case, even if we had the capacity, which we certainly have not, that is 

 far too delicate a question to be gone into here. It can only be hoped 

 that, if destined never to be more nearly matched than they appear 

 to be at present, at any rate they may never be less. There can be 

 no reason to suppose, however, that in the general march of the 

 Australias to nationhood Art here will not share, albeit she may keep 

 somewhat in the rear. With her, as with the minstrel of old, the way 

 may be long and the wind may be cold, but she has at least within 

 her the spirit of youth and daring, and ever ahead, beckoning her 



onward, 



Hope on tlic mouutain.s, 

 Beautiful as morn. 



