Notes

The Mosenthal Brothers shop, the right-most building in this scene, is depicted more elegantly that the other buildings in this town. It is believed that the man sketching in the foreground to the right is Julius Mosenthal himself, who was a keen sketcher.

The present lot hails from a recently deaccessioned private corporate collection - the world’s second-largest collection of Bowler’s work, only surpassed by the William Fehr collection at Iziko.

After arriving in Cape Town in 1834, Thomas Bowler spent his career documenting the Cape Colony. He painted both its landscapes and the lives of its inhabitants. His work also captures the early development of Port Elizabeth and scenes from his travels during a period of conflict between the Dutch and the British as they expanded into territories defended by the indigenous population.

In 1965, Bradlow suggested placing a plaque on the Wale Street building where Bowler once lived, which was then the offices of a financial services company.

“With the assistance of Dr. Mathys Bokhorst from the National Gallery and Bradlow, the company secured additional works by Bowler. Bradlow then took on the role of curator for the collection in 1967. Through his efforts, it became the country’s second-largest holding of Bowler’s art, surpassed only by the William Fehr collection at the Iziko Museums, encompassing paintings and other objects from the 17th to 19th centuries,” says Kayleen Wrigley, Strauss & Co Valuation Specialist.

Literature

Frank R Bradlow et al (1967) Thomas Bowler: His Life and Work, Cape Town: A A Balkema, illustrated on page 137.