PRESS RELEASE____________________________________________________________DECEMBER 2009

                                           Lot 694

                                          Jacob Hendrik Pierneef (South African 1886-1957)

                                           FISHERMEN’S COTTAGES NEAR STRUISBAAI

                                           signed and dated 48

                                           oil on canvas

                                           54 by 66cm

                                            EXHIBITED

                                            South African Association of Arts, Exhibition of Contemporary  

                                            S.A. Art, sponsored by the Van Riebeeck Tercentenary Festival,

                                            1952, cat no 125

                                             R1 400 000 – R1 600 000

This compelling image of a row of simple cottages on a ridge was painted in 1948, and serves as an example of his fully developed mature style.

The composition is dominated by the angular form of the nearest cottage;  its clearly defined planes create a stark outline which is repeated rhythmically in diminishing scale to form the horizon line. The preoccupation with shapes in his work was, for Pierneef, quintessentially South African: “Ons het nie kleur nie, maar vorm – grootse vorm.”[1] He consistently explored the South African landscape believing that “Truly national art has to be born of your own surroundings and your own soil.”[2]

This sustained exploration of the country was almost exclusively devoid of the depiction of people. Clearly the buildings and the well-worn track leading the eye to them indicate the presence of people in this particular scene, but as Coetzee noted, “whenever buildings and other signs of human existence are present, they more often than not serve to emphasise the desolation, the quietness and the vastness of nature.”[3] The absence of human presence is countered by the life force of the trees that Pierneef painted. Being a late motif[4] in his work, the artist depicted them as potent symbols of life.[5]  The composition is anchored by the strong organic form and colour of the tree on the left-hand side. The curve of this shape and colour on the opposite margin helps to balance the work and broaden the horizon. The shape of the tree as it leans into the picture plane counter- balances the angle of the sweeping track as it leads to the horizon. This creates a powerful dynamic which draws the eye in towards the cottage, rather than over the hill or out of the frame.

The buildings are highlighted against steely monochromatic grey sky that forms a backdrop which evokes the sense of vastness and isolation which Coetzee refers to while creating an atmosphere of tension accentuated by the dark cloud which looms above the building and crowds the picture plane. The foreground, by comparison, has received a more stylised treatment with defined linear arrangements and this has the effect of making it more substantial, literally grounding the composition.

This painting is the work of a master who has carefully considered every element which he has chosen to include within the composition. This ordered harmony has produced an accomplished work of energy and power turning study of humble cottages in a sparse setting into a grand narrative with monumental significance.

Jennifer Schultz  BA (UCT)