Curatorial Voices: African Landscapes, Past and Present

Live Virtual Auction, 19 February 2024

Curatorial Voices: African Landscapes, Past and Present
About the Session

From Thomas Baines to Jake Aikman, Curatorial Voices: African Landscapes, Past and Present will showcase art by pioneering modernist and trailblazing contemporary artists, spanning 175 years of visual landscape painting on the African continent. This comprehensive auction reveals a nuanced understanding of the diverse cultural, historical, and environmental contexts that have shaped artistic representations of the landscape. Through an examination of various themes, the auction seeks to engage viewers in a dialogue that transcends time and space, connecting past representations to contemporary perspectives. The auction attempts to engage with the diversity of artists that have shaped and continue to shape the depiction of Africa through time.

The auction invites viewers on a captivating journey through the artistic expressions that mirror the multifaceted nature of African terrain. Through meticulous  curation and insightful analysis, the catalogue aspires to be a valuable resource for scholars, art enthusiasts and anyone eager to embark on a thought-provoking exploration of Africa’s rich and complex artistic heritage.

Curatorial Voices
Recognising the dynamic discourse surrounding African Landscape, both past and present, the auction features texts by invited contemporary curators responding to the auction selection and themes. As external voices, they provide critical insights into the complexities of the landscape theme. By amplifying these contemporary perspectives, the exhibition seeks to bridge the gap between traditional representations and the ever-evolving discourse on the role of African art within the global art market.

Azza Satti, Independent Curator, Kenya
Azu Nwagbogu, Founder and Director of the African Artists’ Foundation (AAF), Nigeria
Camilla van Hoogstraten, Head of Sales, Latitudes Online
Ugoma Ebilah, Curator, Gallerist & Founder of Bloom Art
Nkgopoleng Moloi, Independent Curator, South Africa


  • Jan Ernst Abraham Volschenk; The 'Schaap Post' (Riversdale)
  • Jan Ernst Abraham Volschenk; The 'Schaap Post' (Riversdale)
  • Jan Ernst Abraham Volschenk; The 'Schaap Post' (Riversdale)


Lot Estimate
ZAR 80 000 - 120 000

About this Item

South African 1853-1936
The 'Schaap Post' (Riversdale)

signed and dated 1911; inscribed with the artist's name, date and the title on the reverse

oil on canvas
38,5 by 83cm excluding frame; 54,5 by 98,5 by 5cm including frame

Notes

'Volschenk approached the task of celebrating his home landscape without theory or polemic. His aim was purely to record the information offered by his eyes. Structural design, as such, did not concern him. The composition of his paintings was established by the view itself. His faithful descriptions read like random snapshots filtered through a rose-tinted lens. As his skill for rending the effect of light grew, he increasingly romanticized his portrayals.'

Esmé Berman (1983) Art & Artists of South Africa: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary and Historical Survey of Painters, Sculptors & Graphic Artists since 1875. Cape Town: Southern Book Publishers, page 478.

Provenance

Herbert John Gladstone, 1st Viscount Gladstone.

Late Estate Viscountess Dorothy Mary Gladstone.

Private Collection, Pretoria, 1941, thence by decent.

The DinksFãStan Private Collection.

View all Jan Ernst Abraham Volschenk lots for sale in this auction