Title

On Tuesday evening Mr. Duterrau [presented a lecture on painting, sculpture and engraving.]

Author

Author not identified

Source

Hobart Town Courier (Hobart)

Details

19 July 1833, p.2, col.5.

Publication date

19 July 1833

Type

News

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Web address

newspaper view

Full text

On Tuesday evening Mr. Duterrau the eminent portrait and landscape painter, who has lately arrived in this colony, delivered his lecture on painting, sculpture and engraving, to a very full meeting of the members of the Mechanics’ Institution. It was heard with mingled profit and delight by a most attentive audience. The lecturer in commencing his subject enlarged with considerable pathos and effect on the advantages of Institutions similar to the present that encouraged the dissemination of science and the arts. “It has been remarked, said Mr. Duterrau, t hat art and science have but little chance of being promoted in Van Diemen’s land, owing to the infancy of the colony – an infancy that some may wish would last for ever, rather than have the trouble of any higher degree of thinking than that which is necessary for the producing swaddling clothes ; such dull guardians of infancy, would see the infant grow to manhood and still talk of infancy – and well they may, for under their auspices the manhood of the colony would only resemble an over grown babe, arrived at the great bulk of man with the little intellect of a new born child. How different are the true friends of infancy, who watch the growing strength and are ready to help with ardent zeal in every laudable pursuit that may lead to dignified character. Those who countenance art and science are setting an example to the rising generation, who no doubt, will be grateful for putting in their way as they arrive at maturity, the means to become a truly civilized people.”

On Tuesday next Dr. Ross continues his course on the natural philosophy, in which after some brief recapitulations of his former lecture on chrystallization and geology, as indicated by the natural appearance of this island, he will proceed to explain several of the phenomena connected wit the seasons and other changed of the atmosphere that occasionally pass before us, and in which various optical illusions in nature, spectral apparitions as well as some mechanical deception will be pointed out and accounted for.

Mr. Duterrau has presented the Mechanics’ Institution with a beautiful portrait, painted by himself, of the celebrated Dr. priestly. The philosopher is represented in the act of composition in his study, and the artist has succeeded in a very remarkable manner in portraying, if we may so speak, the mind of the subject of his pencil. At the very first glance of the intellectual and deep-thinking powers of the individual arrest the attention and admiration of the spectator. It is suspended in the lecture room, holding forth a lively stimulus to the juvenile members to emulate the indefatigable researches into the secrets of nature of the renowned original.

[Hobart Town Courier, 19 July 1833, p.2, col.5]