Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Monday 13 October 1913, page 4


MR. PHILLIPS FOX'S PAINTINGS.

Art lovers will find a treat in store for them at the exhibition of Mr. E. Phillips Fox's

pictures, opening at the Royal Art Society's

rooms, 76 Pitt-street, at 2.30 this afternoon. A press view of the pictures, 83 in number,

was given on Saturday. A native of Mel-

bourne, Mr. Fox is an Australian artist, who

has attained to a considerable degree of emi-nence in the art world, and many of his paint-ings have been hung at the Royal Academy, the Paris Salon, and the International. He is a Societaire of the Salon Nationale des Beaux Arts, a distinction which has only fallen to about four British artists. This gives him the right to exhibit six works of art in each section of the exhibition without submitting them to the jury. It is in the painting of light and atmosphere that Mr.

Fox excels.

In "The Arbour," which was exhibited at both the Royal Academy and Paris Salon ex-hibitions, and which is priced at 500 guineas, we have an admirable example of his work. Indeed, Mr. Fox himself regards it as the finest thing he has done. It depicts an alfresco tea party, and the light is coming

from all directions. It is full of subtle lights and shadows, in the sense of moving sunspots, and the child in red in the fore-ground strikes a beautiful light, which bal-ances the whole picture. The mother, too, with the black and white dress, and the blue scarf thrown over her shoulders, is a very striking study. The modelling and the re-liefs are perfect. The painting is reminis-cent of the same artlst's "Al Fresco," now in the Adelaide Gallery, but it is carried to a

much more complete stage.

"Lamplight," another Academy and Salon picture, is also a beautiful piece of work. It is the hour of dusk, and through the window

the fading daylight is seen, whilst the glow of a lamp is beginning to strengthen inside. Here we have the two conflicting lights—an effect that lasts, perhaps, for only ten min-utes or so—and the subject is a difficult one to treat. It represents a corner of Mr. Fox's

own salon in Paris.

A somewhat similar effect is obtained in The Terrace—fading day, with the rising moon, and artificial light shining on to the terrace. The impression of the distance— the hazy atmosphere of the fading day on land and water—was obtained by Mr. Fox from the Hotel Metropole on his previous visit to Sydney about eight years ago, though the picture was painted in Paris. The figures stand out boldly, and the draperies are beautifully treated, whilst there is also an excellent study of still life.

A very vivid impression of sunlight is given in "The Green Parasol." The subject is handled in a masterly manner. The sunlight is seen through the parasol, and there are conflicting lights thrown from a sunlit gar-den. The painting of green chiffon over white is an admirable illusion.

"The Ferry," one of the Academy pictures, is a very brilliant painting of sparkling sun-

light.

The same bright effect is obtained in the "Bathing Hour," a French beach scene.

"Dejeuner"—a little episode in the artist's

own garden in Paris—is also notable for the admirable rendering of contrasting lights and shades. "Motherhood," showing a mother and her two children in a shaded avenue, and "Vanity," a harmony in pink, blue, and gold, are also among the outstanding pictures in

the exhibition.

There are some exquisite studies in the

nude.

In view of the fact that Mr. Fox has been engaged upon the portrait of Mr. Andrew

Fisher in Melbourne for the Commonwealth Government, it is also interesting to find here

an excellent example of his work as a por-trait painter, in the portrait of the late Mrs. L. Ellis, the flesh tones being very sympa-thetically felt.

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