Notes

Carved from a yellowwood roof beam taken form the historic homestead at Grootzeekoegat. The work referred to as Jónatan in the artist's diary was referred to as Sebastiaan upon completion.

Johannes Meintjes, Dagboek II, 1948, page 64:

"26 November: My hande is vol eelte, snye and rowe; dit kom van dag na dag se arbeid aan die geelhoutfiguur wat ons eers speels 'Karools' genoem het, maar uiteindelik Jónatan sal heet.  Hy vorder fluks. Ek werk baie aande ook daaraan en is soms baie seer en moeg in die middelrug.  Veral vermoeiend  is om lank met 'n 2,5 pond hamer bo jou kop te werk.  Ek wonder hoeveel keer ek my linkerduim al oopgeslaan het, maar dis só vervelig om met handskoene aan te werk - veral in dié hitte.

28 November:  Wat baat dit om te sit en skryf oor die sinneloosheid van dinge, die alleenwees en die eensaamheid? Miskien kan ek 'n paar spitsvondighede oor Vriendskap kwytraak.  Daar is so min nuuts; altans die nuwe maniere om ou dinge te sê, is ook al so beperk. 

Ek is bly dat ek my liggaamlik en geestelik op iets soos Jónatan kan uitput - maar tog kry ek dit nie heeltemal reg nie.  Dit word beweer dat kunstenaars hulle grotendeels deur middel van hul werk kan uitleef en gedeeltelik kan bevry raak van iets soos die geslagsbehoefte, maar ek vind dit nie so nie. 'n Daglange geslaaf aan 'n werk, veral een wat liggaamlike energie en krag verg, laat my gewoonlik met 'n intense geslagdrif - soos iets wat móét bevry word."
 

"26 November: My hands are filled with calluses, cuts and wounds; this is a result of daily toil at the yellowwood figure that we initially named 'Karools' in jest, but will eventually be called Jónatan.  The sculpture progresses well.  I have also been working at it for many evenings now and my body and middle sometimes ache.  It is particularly exhausting to work with a 2,5 pound hammer above your head for extended periods.  I wonder how many times I hit my left thumb, but it is so boring to work with gloves - particularly in this heat.

28 November: I am pleased that I can exhaust myself physically and mentally on something like Jónatan - although [the exhaustion has] not [been] entirely successful.  It has been stated that artists can express themselves to a large extent through their art and be partially freed from their sex drive; but I find this not to be the case.  Daily slaving at my work, especially at an art work that requires physical energy and power, normally leaves me with an intense sex drive - like something that simply must be set free."

Enraged by insensitive viewers who were offended by its nudity, Meintjes cut the sculpture in half.

Caption for photograph: Johannes Meintjes' Studio, Buitengracht Street, 1949 (photo: Jansje Wissema for Anne Fischer)

Provenance

Purchased by the current owner from the artist's estate in the late 1980s

Exhibited

Stellenbosch University Museum, Prestige Memorial Exhibition, 15 July to 28 August 2010

Literature

Johannes Meintjes, Dagboek van Johannes Meintjes II, 1948, page 64