When our representatives visited the Art Gallery yesterday afternoon, Mr. Woodward and his assistant were hanging the newly-arrived pictures. Some of them were already on the walls, but Mr. Woodward explained that the Gallery would not be open to the public until Tuesday next.

The first painting to be viewed was “A Portrait,” by Sir James Lawrence, who in the beginning of the century was at the zenith of his fame as a portrait painter. In the year 1820 he was elected president of the Royal Academy. The picture shows the head and bust of a lady of the time, and is executed in the manner which one would expect from so great a master. The price paid for the painting was 250 guineas.

“Lake Lugarno,” [sic] by R. P. Bonington, is a charming little picture, and gives one a clear indication of the great name the artist would have made for himself had he lived longer. He died in 1828, at the early age of 28 years.

The picture which is certain to attract the most attention and admiration is “Low Tide at Guernsey,” by Arnold Helcké. The atmospheric effects are beautifully caught, while the merest detail has been so carefully attended to by the artist that it is greatly assisted in making a pronounced success of the whole. It is the sort of picture of which one would never tire, for there is always something new to be seen and appreciated in it. It is a fine large canvas, and is hung in a prominent place.

“Royal Windsor,” is the only water-color of the group, and it can well hold its own with those in oils, for it is the work of that great artist, E. H. Fahey, R.I., the modern painter who is renowned for his water-colors and landscapes. It is a painting of Windsor, taken from the northern side of the Thames. In foreground is the river, while in the background is the magnificent regal pile, with its dark battlements standing out distinctly. The perspective is splendid, and one seems to see every inch of the space intervening between the river and the castle.

“On the Road to Dromana” is a typical Australian scene painted by Louis Buvelôt, of Melbourne.

The general effect of “The Lizard Point, Cornwall,” by William Mellbye, R.A., of Copenhagen, is good, but, on a more minute examination being made, it strikes one as peculiar that a barque under full sail should be sailing along on the next wave to the breakers with a heavy breeze blowing on to a lee shore.

“Down on his Luck,” by Fredk. M‘Cubbin, a leading Melbourne painter, is sure to meet with much attention and sympathy. It shows a bushman seated on a stone in the bush over a small fire, evidently down on his luck, as the title denotes. All the main points are capitally brought out, and the picture is essentially realistic.

The eighth and last painting is “The Little Fruit Girl.”

that within its walls are gathered a large number of objects of curiosity
and of interest. It is here that the naturalist arranges the animal
kingdom in the order of classification. The minerals with which the earth
is teeming are brought to light, the various specimens being arranged in
cases with cards attached, giving the names and other particulars. Fossil
remains, met with by the miner in the of the bowls [sic] of the earth, are
identified, throwing a flood of light on the character of animals which
existed on the earth ages ago, and these too, cannot escape the publicity
of the modern museum. It would take too long to attempt even to summarise
the objects to be found in any modern museum, and one cannot do more than
pass them over in brief review.

The Perth Museum was formally opened on September 9, 1891, by Sir William
Robinson, who was then Governor of the colony. The beginning was a humble
one, as the curator had very few cases in his charge, but in the following
year the Government purchased the Museum of the Mechanics’ Institute, and
the public Museum began to assume respectable proportions. A new gallery
was soon afterwards started, and this was opened on July 31, 1895, by Sir
Alexander Onslow. The work of extension still went on, and the handsome
building which now faces James-street was put in hand. This has now been
finished, but the first floor is being used as a library for the time
being, and the authorities will have to be content with the possession of
the top floor of the new building until the proper quarters for the
library are erected. The Art Gallery is also to be found in the Museum
building, but the position is not a favorable one for the purpose, and
another will be secured as soon as possible.

In 1895 the control the Museum transferred to a committee, consisting of
the following gentlemen :—Sir Jas. Lee-Steere (chairman), Sir George
Shenton, Mr. Justice Stone, Dr. Harvey, and Messrs. J. W. Hackett, M.L.C.,
Chas. Harper, M.L.A., M. F. A. Canning, and J. C. H. James. Mr. B. H.
Woodward, F.G.S., was appointed curator in January, 1891, and has retained
the position ever since. The institution has been well patronised by the
public, the last annual report showing that for the year ended June 30,
1898, the total attendance of visitors was 37,402. Of these 11,067 visited
the institution on Sunday afternoons.

The first thing which claims attention on entering the Museum is the fine
collection of animals, Order 1, of which comprises the Primate, and Order
2 the Carnivora. Among the best specimens are a splendid ant-eater from
Guiana, a beaver from Maine, some Russian wolves and a chimpanzee from the
west coast of Africa. There are some large animals in the central cases, a
bison from Nebraska taking pride of place in the matter of bulk. A grizzly
bear from the Rocky Mountains is a veritable type of strength and
shagginess, while the two leading families of the carnivora are
represented by a South African lion and an Indian tiger. There are fine
Norwegian elk, a red deer from Scotland, and a Selous antelope from
Mashonaland.

The marsupials are of especial interest to Australians, and of these there
is a large and representative collection. A good idea has been carried out
for the purpose of showing at a glance the geographical distribution of
the animals, birds, etc. A small map of the world is placed with every
species, and that portion which is inhabited by the exhibit to which it is
attached is colored red. These little maps show at once that the
marsupials are confined almost entirely to Australasia. A few exist in
South America, but specimens of these have not yet been secured by the
museum authorities. A family of dingoes at once commands the attention of
the visitor, there being two old ones and six pups. These exhibits were
obtained from York and Broomehill, and the animals have been very
effectively mounted. Close by is another case in which are to be seen some
emus, which were captured in the Geraldton district.

The collection of birds is a very good one, especially as far as
Australian birds are concerned. There are numbers of gulls and other
seabirds from the vicinity of the Abrolhos Islands, and parrots and
cockatooes [sic] also form a goodly collection. There is one case which
contains birds of paradise, and the display of plumage is very beautiful.
Close by is a case of humming birds, which are well known to be among the
smallest of the feathered tribe. The humming birds are very pretty little
creatures, and as there are numbers of them in the case the effect is a
decidedly pleasing one. There is not a large number of fish, but the
invertebrates are well represented. The absence of a backbone is the
distinguishing characteristic of the invertebrates, of which there are six
sub-kingdoms. An excellent plan has been adopted in providing an index
case, in which there are typical forms of the various families belonging
to the order.

There are a great many specimens at the museum which are not yet ready for
exhibition, and included in these is the skeleton of a whale, some 85 ft.
in length. The animal was stranded at the Vasse during last year, but it
will be some time before the skeleton is fixed up for exhibition, as the
work will involve a certain expenditure of time and money. The weight
whale’s head alone is as much as a ton, and the weight of the whole
skeleton is of course something considerable.

The top floor of the new building is not yet open to the public. It will
be devoted to the accommodation of the recent invertebrates, as well as to
the reception of corals, sponges, etc. Many of the latter are already in
their cases, but the whole of the cases required have not yet been
finished. All the fossils will be placed in this room, the total number
being 5,000. The fossils which have been discovered in this colony have
been found in the coastal limestone, and in the carboniferous formations
which extend at intervals from the Irwin to the Gascoyne, and from the
latter place across country to Kimberley. The upper part of the skull of a
mastodon is on view in the new room, and gives some idea of the massive
size and enormous strength of many races of animals which long ago became
extinct. These are also represented by a number of casts of the large
saurians or fish-eating reptiles.

The most interesting exhibits in the ethnological gallery are the relics
of the Dutch ship Zeewyk, which was wrecked on Gun Island in the Abrolhos,
in the year 1727. There are cooking utensils, bottles, coins, pipes and
other articles, as well as two skeletons representing all that is left of
the adventurous Dutch after the catastrophe of 172 years ago. In this
gallery are samples of textile fabrics, including carpets from Persia and
Armenia, embroidered curtains and other fabrics from India, with a
quantity of metal work from the same country. There is also a good
collection of native weapons, implements, and other articles.

The mineral exhibits are, of course, not the least important items in a
country like Western Australia. In one set of cases the various minerals
are arranged in scientific order, while, in another, Western Australian
minerals are ranged according to their commercial interest. The latter
include specimens of gold, copper, iron, tin, and other ores. There is a
large mass of gold in quartz which was brought from the Orient mine at
Lake Austin, in 1892, the precious metal being plainly discernible in the
stone. There are specimens of Nullagine diamonds and Collie coal, two
products which are very dissimilar in appearance, but which are both
composed very largely of carbon.

At the entrance to the Museum is a gilt pyramid representing the
comparative gold production in the colony during the last eight or nine
years.

There are two large models in the Museum, namely, those of the Fremantle
harbor works, and the Merredin tank, on the Yilgarn railway. The
reproductions of the celebrated Moabite and Rosetta stones are very
interesting. There are also huge Assyrian bas-reliefs.

The Art Gallery is small, but contains some good pictures, and other works
of art. There is a collection of black and white drawings by British,
French, German, and American artists, including Charles Keene (who was at
one time on the “Punch” staff), Millais, Whistler, Burne-Jones, Leighton,
and Phil. May. Among the best of the paintings are “The End of a Long
Day,” by Mr. Clausen, A.R.A. ; “The Great Southern Ocean,” by J. Ford
Paterson, of Melbourne ; “Low Tide in Guernsey,” by Arnold Helcke ; and
“Lake Lugano,” by R. P. Bonington.

In the ethnological room the walls are hung with several excellent
paintings by well-known artists. This is only a temporary art gallery, as
the plans for the new one have been issued, and work will be commenced as
soon as the Government has voted the necessary money, which is expected to
be placed on the Estimates next session. One of the recent additions to
the gallery is a copy of Rembrandt’s “Old Woman,” by Mrs. Potter, of
London. The original has been on exhibition in the National Gallery,
London, during the past 30 years. The copy was purchased a short time ago,
and is now awaiting framing and hanging. Another purchase made by the
committee is the work of Mr. G. Pitt Morrison [sic], of Victoria, and is
entitled “Springtime.” Mr. Morrison has lent to the gallery a very good
copy of Velasquez’s English dwarf. Dr. Harvey has also lent the Gallery a
pretty little water-colour painting of the delicate alamanda flower. This
work is by Miss F. J. Bayfield of Norwich. A number of statues have been
ordered for this room, and will shortly arrive.

Mr. Lippert [sic] is the taxidermist of the department, and his work is
most satisfactory, A chimpanzee, set by him has lately been added to the
collection, and a large kangaroo, which was shot 40 miles from Gin Gin, a
spider monkey from South Africa, an antelope, a gazelle from Africa, and a
lion, will shortly be added. When these are placed on exhibition the
collection will be a most interesting one. There is already displayed in
the Museum a large collection of the Western Australian fauna, most of
which were shot by Mr. Lippert [sic] himself.

The number of cases for holding mineralogical specimens has been from 20
to 30, and the collection is now becoming more complete. On one side of
the main aisle of the big room are ranged the cases containing Western
Australian exhibits, and on the other those from abroad. The cases have
been made after the latest patterns, and specimens being well arranged,
those who are interested in mineralogy have a good opportunity of becoming
acquainted with the various classes of ores, precious stones found here,
and the great gold, silver, and precious stones producing countries of the
world. The gold specimens from the Coolgardie and neighboring fields have
recently almost doubled in number, through the kindness of Mr. Vosper, who
has presented the Museum with a well-assorted collection. It is greatly
owing to the exertions of Mr. Woodward that the Museum has reached such an
advanced stage in so short a time, and when all the exhibits he possesses
are put in their places, an excellent little collection of the curiosities
of the world in general, and Western Australia in particular, will be on
view.

The purchases include the following :—Regent bird (sericulus melinus),
nest and eggs of butcher bird (cracticus torquatus), nest and eggs of Swan
River honeyeater (melithreptus chloropsis), two banded superb warblers
(malurus splendens), white-throated thick-head (pachyephala gutturalis),
sacred king-fisher (todirhamphus sanctus), sombre honey-eater (myzantha
obscura), two white-headed stilts (himantopus leucocephalus).

His estimates of receipts and expenditure have been chiefly remarkable for their monumental inaccuracy, and on more than one occasion he has proved a source of serious embarrassment to his colleagues. It is as Minister for Education, however, that he excels himself. A Minister for Education who regards a public library as a luxury and a museum as a toy must be without parallel in any British community.

It is not necessary to deal at any great length with the merits of the request made by the deputation which waited upon Mr. Illingworth on behalf of the Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery. They asked for nothing more than the fulfillment of a promise, but they found it necessary to remind the Minister that they performed their duties gratuitously and for the benefit of the public before they could obtain even a courteous hearing of their case.

It will be remembered that when the Duke of York was here he was prevailed upon to lay the foundation-stone of the new wing of the Public Library, having been first assured by Sir Arthur Lawley that it was intended to proceed with the erection of the building. Money for the purpose had been promised by the Throssell Government, and the Leake Government had plans for the work, so that the deputation may reasonably have felt some little comfort in approaching the Minister.

They were able to show that the additional space was urgently needed—that for lack of it many books for the Library, pictures for the Gallery, and collections for the Museum had to be stored away in the basement. The medical men who accompanied the deputation also pointed out that the reading-room was frequently crowded to such an extent as to be prejudicial to health. In addition to having a good case, the deputation were strengthened by the inclusion among their numbers of a Minister of the Crown, and in the circumstances they may well have felt assured of a sympathetic hearing.

Instead of receiving this, however, the speakers were subjected to rude interruptions by the Minister, and they were treated as though they were trying to get something out of the public Treasury for their own personal advantage. The question of whether the condition of the State finances justified the granting of the request fades into insignificance beside the extraordinary stand taken up by the Minister for Education, and the peculiar views he announced as to the educational value of libraries, art galleries and the like.

Apparently Mr. Illingworth looks upon a public library merely as a counter-attraction to the hotels. In so far as it is likely to assist the temperance cause it has his sympathy, but beyond that he considers it a luxury and a toy. His reason for sending the deputation to another Minister is not very clear. As Treasurer and Minister for Education the matter came entirely within his jurisdiction. The Public Works Department, as Mr. Rason pointed out, has nothing to do with the question of the policy of erecting such buildings. Their duty is merely to carry out the work resolved upon by Cabinet and approved by Parliament.

From the attitude of Dr. Jameson and Mr. Rason, there is reason to hope that the request of the deputation will receive fair consideration at the hands of the Government, the Minister for Education’s opposition notwithstanding.

Mr. Illingworth declares that for every one person, who goes to the Museum to study hundreds go there for mere pleasure. Without admitting the accuracy of this, it may be asked whether it is not the duty of the Government to encourage people to indulge in such pleasure as this.

Though our Minister for Education will not admit it, it is hardly conceivable that any man can make a practice of visiting a well-appointed library and museum without becoming in consequence a better man and a more useful citizen. From Mr. Illingworth's point of view it is evidently an outrageous thing to spend money on the pleasures of the people, however beneficial those pleasures may be, but the ordinary taxpayer is likely to take up the position that he would rather subscribe to the maintenance of a good public library than pay the expenses of an over-manned Ministry, an over-manned Parliament, and an over-manned civil service.

Now that federation has been brought about, there should be no need for six State Ministers, nor for eighty members of the State Parliament, and the salaries of these superfluous administrators and legislators for a single year would be more than sufficient to meet the requirements of yesterday's deputation.

The number of visitors to the Public Library is between 40,000 and 50,000 per annum, and this total would be greatly increased if additional facilities were afforded. Strangers in the city, and even local residents, find considerable difficulty in profitably employing their hours of leisure, and it is safe to say that there is not a city in Australia where a thoroughly-equipped public reading-room is more urgently required than in Perth.

Mr. Illingworth's open hostility to institutions of this character is not likely to be overlooked when Parliament meets. It quite unfits him for the office of Minister for Education, and furnishes another argument in favor of a change in the Government. It has often been said that a city and its people are judged in a great measure by the standards they set up in their libraries, art galleries, and museums, and it will not reflect to the credit of Western Australia that her capital is deficient in these requirements, and that her Minister for Education regards them as needless luxuries and toys....

present hung in the gallery. The small room is now overcrowded, but it is
satisfactory to know that the working plans of the new art gallery will be
ready for inspection on Tuesday next. The three pictures are :—“Adjusting
the Plough,” a farming scene, by J. Scherrewitz, a rising Dutch painter ;
“Crossing the Ford,” a characteristic English landscape by Thomas
Creswick, R.A., who originally received £1 ,200 for the painting ; and
“Flooded Meadows—Norfolk Broads,” by Professor Karl Heffner, of Dresden,
Germany, a painter who has a world-wide reputation for his wonderful
atmospheric effects. This artist’s work is well known in Australia, being
represented in all the national galleries of the several Sates.

cleaning. In 1898 it was further opened on Sunday afternoons, and since
last June it has been opened daily, Sundays included, one portion only
being closed from time to time for cleaning and alterations. The Picture
Gallery has been inspected by 40091 visitors during the past five months
without a single day’s closure, and in consequence requires a thorough
cleaning. This will be commenced on Tuesday, November 3. It will be re-
opened on Saturday, and after that it will be open daily for an extra half-
hour up to 5.30 p.m. until further notice.

The lecturer drew comparisons between the various important Continental
galleries and museums, and said that London boasted of Parthenon
fragments, as against the Venus de Milo of the Louvre.  Even the latter’s
rich collections of painting, with their fabulous intrinsic value, did not
contain the greatest works of the greater masters of art.  For instance,
none of its Raphaels could compare with the Sistine Madonna or the Vatican
frescoes, while Milan claimed the “Last Supper.”  The most valued
productions of Velasquez, Rembrandt, and Van Dyke were in other galleries.
 It could be said that most of the masters of both earlier and later date
were retained by Italy.  But, putting that aside, it could be safely
asserted that Paris possessed an unrivalled collection of the most notable
painters of all time. It was its very general and very unusual excellence,
together with its vast numbers, that placed the museum of the Louvre at
the head of all European galleries. To Francois I. was due the inception
of the art collection of the Louvre, he having acquired a decided taste
for art during his Italian wars.  As France at that time could not boast
of any artists worthy of note, he included some Italian masters to take up
their abode at the capital. Chief amongst these were Leonardo de [sic]
Vinci and Andrea del Sarto.  Under the King’s fostering care, a new school
of art under Italian influence was begun. Under Louis XIV. the collection
was increased to 2,000, and the Louvre became possessed of the valuable
art treasures of Charles I. of England.  Vast sums had been devoted to
securing pictures of importance.  In 1852 a decree was granted by the
President of 615,300 francs for the purchase of Murillo’s “Immaculate
Conception” at Marshal Soult’s sale.  In 1900 everything was transformed ;
schools were hung together, and overcrowded walls were thinned down. The
museum had the right to buy and sell, and had its own income of over
400,000 francs per annum.  Sculpture of ancient and middle-ages, and the
Renaissance, Assyrian, Greek, and Egyptian antiquities abounded.  A view
of the Louvre was shown, and its constructional advantages described.
Subsequently slides representing some 30 of the more valuable pictures in
the gallery were shown, but the lack of color effects somewhat detracted
from their artistic value, which the lecturer endeavoured to explain in
detail.

that Mr. Tom Roberts’s famous painting of the opening of the Federal
Parliament in 1901 will command the attention of Perth citizens while it
remains on view in this city. Whatever be its merits or demerits as a work
of art, it will have a certain attraction, firstly by reason of the great
historical occasion it relates to, and secondly because it was painted to
the order of the King and is exhibited through Australia at His Majesty’s
request.

The immense canvas was opened to the public view at noon yesterday, and
throughout the day it was the magnetic point to which hundreds of curious
and critical visitors were attracted. The work has so often been described
in detail that there is no necessity to go into a detailed analysis of it
now. But, in commending it to the inspection of all who can possibly make
it convenient to visit the Public Library during the next fortnight, it
may be said in passing that the very nature of the commission prevented
the painter creating a picture. He has achieved what was desired, and all
that was possible in the terms of his commission, viz., a group of
portraits set in the relationships which the characters held on the
occasion depicted. It was essential, in order that the painting might be a
correct record, that the leading statesmen and public men of the day
should be included in the work. Then came the difficulty of drawing the
line. There were so many of the participants in that great ceremonial who
wanted to figure in the painting that considerations of grouping and
artistic ensemble had apparently to be partly set aside. Thus handicapped,
Mr. Roberts has not made a picture. He has collected together some
hundreds of portraits, and placed them according to their importance in
the function. Of course, a painter undertaking a commission of this sort
cannot expect to carry out any artistic scheme of coloring, and one sees
in the picture how effect is spoilt by the clashing of brilliantly-colored
uniforms and decorations, which could not be arranged as the artist might
wish. Then the desire to give the portraits an equality of value has led
to a monotony in the grouping. For instance, one notices in the group of
Federal legislators standing before the dais while the Duke of York reads
his commission that all the white collars are painted as if in diagonal
lines, giving a very stiff and inartistic effect. However, these and other
features of a similar kind were, perhaps, inevitable in what purported to
be an historical record. It is noted that the portraiture as a whole is of
a very high standard, the majority of the likenesses being perfect and the
coloring truthful. The one chance given the artist of getting away from
the rigidity of portraiture and close-grouping is in the perspective of
the organ gallery, and this has been skilfully handled. There the hundreds
of white-robed chorus singers are excellently suggested, the background of
white costumes and the glint of sunlight over the aisle giving the
coloring a welcome relief. The technique of the picture is in many
respects admirable, but there are a number of faults which come somewhat
as a surprise from the same brush which created the neighboring
excellences. Still the work is what it purports to be—a faithful record in
oils of the greatest epoch in the history of this Commonwealth, and
perfection is not to be looked for in a work of such massive proportions
and immensity of detail. It is well worth seeing, and as this is last
Australian State in which it will be on view before being returned to the
Royal possession, the opportunity of seeing the famous work during the
next fortnight should not be missed.