LANDSCAPE ART IN NEW ZEALAND 



artists nevertheless owed a debt to Nairn, whose fresh-spirited work has 

 had considerable influence, on thewater-colourists especially, and whose 

 death at a comparatively early age was lamented by his many friends. 

 New Zealand art revolves chiefly around the four centres : Auckland, 

 Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, in each of which there is an 

 art gallery containingfairly representative collections of Modern British 

 art, the societies of each centre holding an annual exhibition to which 

 the artists of the other societies send. Wellington being the metropolis of 

 New Zealand and the seat of Government, its society bears the somewhat 

 grandiloquent name of the " New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts," but 

 differs in nowise from the other three art societies. Christchurch is the 

 capital city of Canterbury, and Dunedin of Otago. 

 Turning to the modern painters, C. N. Worsley (p. 1 1 1), though not a 

 New Zealand artist, has resided here for some time and has been a con- 

 stant exhibitor. A most accomplished technician, painting with facility 

 either seascape or landscape whether of Spain, Italy, England, or New 

 Zealand, he is versatile to a degree. Worsley's work has been exhibited 

 at most of the leading exhibitions in London and also at the Salon. 

 Among the Auckland artists who claim our attention are Frank and 

 Walter Wright (p. 1 10). Walter Wright, whose metier is the portrayal 

 of Maori life and custom, came to New Zealand at an early age, but was 

 able to return to England and was for some time at "Newlyn with 

 Stanhope Forbes. Frank Wright, with whom we are concerned more 

 particularly as a landscape painter, had some preliminary training at 

 the art school in Nottingham, but has since served an apprenticeship 

 to the best of instructors Nature herself. On coming to New Zealand 

 he fell under the spell of the solemn grandeur of the Bush, which has 

 ever since held him in its thrall. 



Charles Blomfield (p. 91) is another Auckland artist who has also made 

 his way into places and scenes few have visited, and so has been able to 

 get faithful records of unique and noble scenery before the advancing 

 hand of civilization has robbed it of its virgin beauty. Blomfield is 

 practically self-taught, and the patient and devoted study he has given 

 to nature has been untrammelled by the conventions of an academic 

 training. He aims to paint New Zealand as he sees it, and not to use it 

 as a peg on which to hang examples of clever technique. 

 Among the later Auckland men " younger men " as they are gene- 

 rally termed amongst the fraternity, without any regard ^o years are 

 W. R. Johnson and F. R. McCracken. The work of the younger men, 

 especially when purely a native product, is always viewed with interest 

 at our exhibitions. The paintings of these two artists shown on pages 

 94 and 100 speak for themselves and show simplicity, breadth, and 

 dignity in conception and execution. Johnson is at present serving at 

 the front. David J. Payne (p. 99), though receiving his training at the 



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