We know that in the early times of all nations the struggle for existence
is so keen that no energy is left for the culture of the fine arts, but
that as they progress these develop - firstly music, and then painting,
and with the latter improved taste in architecture and decoration; and so
it has been with this colony. A musical society has for some years
flourished here, and a few months back in society for the encouragement of
painting was started — yclept [sic] the WilgieClub. This Club, although
in its infancy, determined to hold an annual exhibition of paintings in
oil and water colors [sic], and has met with much encouragement, for the
collection which Lady Fraser has graciously consented to open on the 4th
June next will comprise a large number of paintings by modern English
painters who exhibit regularly at the Academy and other London Galleries,
as well at the Salon in Paris, and also...
many pictures from the collections
of residents in Perth and the neighbourhood, in addition to the
contributions of members of the WilgieClub. The exhibition will, we are
confident, be highly appreciated, and we trust that it will meet with such
success as to ensure its annual repetition and the founding of a West
Australian School of Arts, and so prove that we are not behind the Eastern
Colonies in our love of the beautiful and true. We understand that the
Hon Secretary, Mr Bernard H. Woodward, will be glad to receive intimation
from any gentlemen, who are willing to lend any pictures in their
collections for this exhibition....
An event of importance, marking the progress of the colony in affairs
which establish cosmopolitan interest, is promised to us for the 4th of
June next, in the first annual exhibition of oil and water-colour
paintings, under the auspices of the Wilgie Sketching Club, a club whose
inauguration was chronicled some few months ago. The collection of
pictures, which will be opened by Lady Fraser for the inspection, and we
may say, to many of our readers, the instruction of the West Australian
public, will be in three divisions.
(1) The sketches and drawings by
members of the WilgieClub, most of which have local interest, both in the
artist and the locality, and show the budding native talent until now
almost dormant.
(2.) A large collection of masterly and finished sketches
and finished pictures including some by rising artists of the modern
English school — as well...
