Notes

Dr Strydom recorded that Stephan Welz informed him that Jean Welz painted this scene on a farm situated between Beaufort West and Merweville, owned by the Reynolds family.
“Hierdie skildery van Jean Welz, wat in 1953 geskilder is, het ek in 1980 by Renier Holtzhausen, ’n ginekoloog wat ook saam met sy vrou by die kunshandel betrokke was, gekoop. Hy het dit by Everard Read in Johannesburg gekry. Die olieverf, in tipiese Welz-tinte van groen, blou en pienk, is in oënskynlik spontane hale op die doek aangebring. Dit het in my wortel geskiet en mettertyd het dit vir my ’n mooi voorbeeld van hieros gamos geword – ’n heilige paring tussen uitspansel en moederaarde. Die landskap met sy plante en ’n mensgemaakte geboutjie, is volkome een met die lug daarbo. Deanne Anderson skryf in Lantern (Jaar 3, nommer 1, p. 29) oor Welz en die argitektuur in skilderkuns: ‘It is this most essentially ‘abstract’ of the visual arts which has given Welz his extraordinarily sure sence of balance and the firm geometric framework upon which even the most atmospheric and poetic of his later painting is based.’ Asof hy oor ons skildery gepraat het. Die besluit om my storie oor Jean Welz aan hierdie skildery te koppel, was maklik – ons besit maar min van hom.

Omstandighede het verhoed dat ek hom persoonlik kon leer ken. Anders sou ons meer van sy werk aangeskaf het. Vir nagenoeg veertig jaar het ek gewonder waar dié landskap in werlikheid is en wat die skildery geïnspireer het. Op 21 Maart 2019 het ek uiteindelik op dieselfde plek gestaan vanwaar die kunstenaar na die
 oneel op die doek gekyk het. ’n Baie bevredigende ervaring.”

“In 1980 I purchased this painting by Jean Welz, painted in 1953 from Renier Holtzhausen, a gynaecologist who was also involved in the art trade with his wife. He bought it at Everard Read in Johannesburg. In typical Welz shades of green, blue and pink, the oil paint was applied to the canvas in seemingly spontaneous strokes. It took root in me and in time it became to me a beautiful example of hieros gamos – a sacred union between firmament and mother earth. The landscape with its plants and a man-made building is completely one with the sky above. Deanne Anderson writes in Lantern (Vol. 3, No.1, p. 29) about Welz and architecture in painting: ‘It is this most essentially ‘abstract’ of the visual arts which has given Welz his extraordinarily sure sense of balance and the firm geometric framework upon which even the most atmospheric and poetic of his later painting is based.’ As if he was talking about our painting. The decision to link my story about Jean Welz to this painting was easy – we own very little of his.

Circumstances prevented me from getting to know him personally. Otherwise, we would have acquired more of his work. For almost forty years I have wondered where this landscape is and what inspired the painting. On March 21, 2019, I stood in the same place where the artist stood and painted the scene on canvas. A very satisfying experience.” —Dr Matthys J Strydom, 2021

Provenance

Everard Read, Johannesburg.

Renier Holtzhausen, Johannesburg.

Acquired in 1980 by Dr Matthys Johannes Strydom Family Collection.

Literature

Matthys Strydom (2021) Nog Stories Teen My Muur, George: LW Hiemstra Trust, illustrated in colour on page 27.