Notes

In 1937 a number of young artists who were becoming more and more frustrated with the conservative nature of art in South Africa formed ‘The New Group’. Having studied in Europe and become acquainted with modern movements, they decided to form a group of likeminded artists to challenge the status quo and bring a fresh perspective to art in South Africa. Gregoire Boonzaier (elected as Chairman), Freida Lock, Terence McCaw and Lippy Lipshitz were the founding members. They approached Walter Battiss to recruit suitable artists from the northern parts of the country. Battiss considered Preller to be an appropriate fit with the group’s vision and had the following correspondence with him: “A few of the younger artists are about to arrange an important exhibition in Cape Town for May, and I am wondering whether you would like further particulars. The idea is absolute sincerity, enthusiasm and youth. You are the person I think of for Pretoria.”¹

Preller already had fifty-one works available for exhibition, all of which ended up on the first New Group exhibition held on 4 May 1938, the third exhibition in which Preller participated. The current lot was on the show and was bought from this exhibition. Preller received a lot of attention in the press, for one work in particular, the ‘scarlet nude’. A Cape Times article described the scarlet nude as “ultra-modern” and “[the] picture that is being the most abused, defended, praised, scorned and jeered at and admired … Preller’s picture is, to the conservative, a red scandal in an ecstatic kneeling position, bent as to the knees, twisted as to the arms and bats-in-the-belfry as to the face, out of drawing and best out of mind”.²
1. Esmé Berman and Karel Nel (2009) Alexis Preller: Africa, the Sun and Shadows, Johannesburg: Shelf Publishing, page 45.
2. Ibid, page 46.

Exhibited

New Group Hall, Pretoria, 28 October to 12 November 1938, catalogue number 29.