Reference: see The Telegraph, Brisbane, 19 February, 1894, p2 (from Trove, unedited): An Artist's Tour.
Return of Mr. Godfrey Rivers.
Visits Famous Studios.
It will be remembered that on October 13,
just four months ago, Mr. R. Godfrey Rivers,
president of the Queensland Art Society, and
art instructor at the Technical College, left
Brisbane for a visit to Europe, and especially
to see all that was new in the artistic
worltt» On Suturdfliy lRBt) ajf. . Gouiroy Rivors
roturned to Brisbane, httviugtrnvcllod over tho
sea, across tho continent of Europe, and, after'
.staying for a month in England, back again
by tlio way he wont, to Queensland, in
two days less than four months. Leaving Bris
bane, on tho date mentioned, by mail train, -ho
embarked on' board tho Austral at - Ade-.
laide. Ho left that steamer at Naples.
After spending Bomo days in Italy, chiefly in
Rome, lie resumed his journey und reached
London on Dcaombor 1. Left London again
on January 5, going direct by train to Naplos
whoro ho embarked on board tho Cuzco, and
voyaged to Adelaide where he again took train,
finally reaohing Brisbane on tho 10th instant.
This is n feat common enough nowadays, hut
not many years ago it would have been re
garded as a remarkable accomplishment.
Knowing that Mr. Rivers would make good
uso of his time, a telegraph representative
inter vio wed him with tho objeot of obtaining
any information that would bo, interesting,
not only to tlio artistic but other readers
of thispapor. Mr. Rivers looked, the picture
of health, und had nppurently muoh bene
fited by his trip. After the first words of
wolcomo, a plunge wnsmado into tho subject
chiefly ussooiated with his name.
It ie understood, Mr. .Rivers, that you wont
to tho homo lands ' to sec and lenm unytliing
that was now ?
Yes, tho objeot of my visit was to get in
touch again with tho art world at home. It
was a had timo as far us exhibitions .are con
cerned, but I was fortunate ih finding most of
the leading artists in London/ and a groat deal
of my timo was taken up in visiting them and
seeing tho work whioh is boiug carried Out for
tho coming Royal Acadomy, and other exhibi
tions.
Tho prcsont state of tho financial world
must affect tho artistic world. Doos it not ?
Tho finunoial depression has uaturiilly
affoctad tho artists very seriously, but for all
that there appears to bo no diminution in that
enthusiasm for art which has boon so notice
able in Great Britain for years past. Now
Schools of Art uro boing constantly openod,
and suoh leading institutions us tho Slado
school, tho Royal Acadomy, and South
Kensington havo a largor roll of students than
thoy ever havo had, aud tho work is distiuotly .
of a higher eharaotcr than it was ten yoars ngo.
In which branch has tho most progress been
mudo P
Tho greatest advance has been mudo in
soulpturo, hot so muoh in tho plumber of
sculptors ns in tho oxcellonco of their works,
whioh more neurly approaches tho ideal of tho
niitiquo. It was quite a revolution after being
so long in the colonics to seo Mr. Brook, R.A.,
at work.
Of course you visitqd soma of the big artists?
Tlioy woro no doubt interested in hearing ot
Australian urt ?
Of all tlio artists I met Sir Froderiolc
Loigliton, F.R.A., seemed to tuko tho
greutest interest in art in tho colonics.
Ho thinks vory - highly of tho collection
of modern pictures in the art gallcricB
of Syduoy una Melbourne, and expressed great '
astonishment at tho ,fuct that Queensland had
as yot dono nothing towards establishing a
national gallory (an opinion which was nearly
universally Bharoil by other artists), and ho
sympathised very heartily with those who had
to contend against this disadvantage. He made
many inquiries iuto what waB being attempted
in Brisbane, both as regards art education and
looiil exhibitions. Sir Frcderiok's houso is a per
fect artist's abo'do, and every corner is of interest
— from tho Arabian hall, built of old Damascus
tilostand marble, which stands near tho entrance
to the ohief studio, where ho usually receives
his guests. A very imposing flight of stops
loads from ono to tho other, and tho walls aro
simply lined with pictures of artists of ronown.
Ho showed mo tho canvases which he is paint
ing for tho 1894 exhibition, tho reproductions
of whioli wo shall seo in oourso of timo in the
"Acadomy Notes." Ono a femalo figure
draped in white, tho drapery .suggesting snow
and ioioles. Slio is souted on a pinnacle of
rock whioh stands out against a gray blue sky
with a few snowy peaks in tho dis
tance lighted up by the rising sun.
Ho thinks of calling it " Tlio Daughter
of tlio Snow." Then ho has another
singlo figure in striking contrast to the wintry
suggestions of the formor painting. , Tlio
whole pioturo is bathed in sunlight : tho sub
ject is a fair-haired girl nsleop on tho brink of
a nmrblo woll, surrounded by white doves
dozing, und all tho accessories in tho way of
statuury are suggestive of sleep and silenco.
This -will be known us a " Summer Siesta."
Iu a smaller studio ho showed me soino careful
oliaraotoristic chalk Btudios of drapery for tlieso
piotures. The groat attention he pays to every
uotail of his compositions, und tne amount of
thought and tachmoal skill which he devotes to
his work are very evident throughout, and one
is ablo to follow tlio pictures wliioh ho has in
hand from ' their earliest stages— a oomplbto
losson in itself.
Did you seo any othor piotures in course of
preparation for tho Academy ?
Yes, I also visited Mr. and Mrs. Alma
Tudoma. He was at work on a painting of a
"Flower Festival, " whioli represents a pra-
. oossion ' of olassicul figures bearing flowers mid
desponding a flight of steps (needless to suy) of
white inurblu. There arc other figures above
showering down flowers on tho orowd below.
It was a wonderful massing of colour and
grouping of figures, aud I fancy it will prove
ono of his greatest masterpieces. Ono of
tho ohiof curios in his studio, .whioh
is . built of marble with a silvered
dotno, is an alaovo lighted by windows made of
suoh thin shoots of marble that the light ppr-
moutos through thorn, showing the veins in
perfect colour. In his anteroom the walls are
panelled with paintings contributed by nou'rly
evory great artist of th'o day; I also uiot
Frouk Dicksoo, R.A., who was only just oom-
menoing his yeur's pictures but had readied-
the stago of elaborately finished sketches. '-'I
was greatly interested - in his original
painting for his famous pioture, "The
viking's Funeral." At tho' studio of Colin -
Hunter, - R.A., I ..-Baw; tho . result of : a
lengthened viBit to the. Shotland - cooet ; in
ovory canvas tho remarkable power of de-
piotmg water in motion is most striking.
Among othors I met Stacoy Marks, R.A., And
last, but not least, my former tutor, ProfosRor
Logros, who is preparing a series off etchings,
whioh are likely to uroueo onthuBiasm in tho
London art world.
Doubtless all treated you' well and - reooived
you warmly?. - ' .
I was, indeed, vory generously treated. -I
havo brought baok ns memonfocs of my ' vieit
a reproduction of Brighton's "Eli ska"' and
some ot his studios of drapery, and a number
of Dioksoe's etchings— given ' to me by. tho
artists. ' ' - ' y ; ' ' /'
There . is a good deal being written and said
just now about rilver point, Did you see any
epooimons ? .
Ob, yes. Silvor point drawing is perhapB
tho most snooessful form of artistio proauotioo,
whioh, as you say, has during the last throo
years received oonsiderablo attention. My
former follow studont, Charles Sainton, is. the
recognised loador in this branoh of art, and l
had many opportunities of seoinghis-dolightful
moroenux. .-
Shortly boforo you loft . Brisbane a mooting
was hold fo promote the establishment of a
class in art noodleworb. You were, I beliovo,
askod to obtain Bomo information on tho sub-
jcot?
I rondo several visits to'fho, Royal School of
Art.Nosdlowpjrk at South ''Konsington, and
had a long consultation with Mies "Wado, tlio
lady superintendent, as to tbo bcBb means of
starting olasses in Queensland. She gavo
mo groat assistunoo in cliooBing suitable
materials and dosignu. Tho demand for
art ncodlework in England is muoh on
tlio incroaso, and is oxtonsivoly used
for furnituro and draperies. I was
fortunate in securing sovoi-ul samples of works
showing various stitolios und modos of working
copies of which uro not ullowed to bo mado in
England, but this objection wns ovorlooked, to ,
ciuiblo a clues to bo started in Brisbane.
After some furtUor-nrt gossip tho intorviow -
terminated.
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