Footnotes

• "The Shaka epic was visualised after I became acquainted with the main elements of his story. It started as an interest in the man, and became an obsession to give him his rightful place as the most important historical figure of the first half of the nineteenth century.
  
  "There had been an attempt by both black and white - Dingaan and the British - to smother his importance, to turn him into a vague monster whose impact on the times and the future was equally as vague. I intended to rectify that and present him as the great figure he was. He appealed to me for several reasons: hero in the classical mould, warrior, statesman, 'creator of the Zulu empire', tactician and commander.
  
  "Owing to his action the whole of the tribal life of Southern Africa, even as far as the great lakes of central Africa, was redistributed, thus laying the foundations for firstly the white move into the interior and subsequently the establishment of the various present-day black states, but I also wished to maintain the legendary aspects of his character." (the artist, as quoted in Harmsen, 1996, p.32)
  
  In October 1973 The Assassination of Shaka was exhibited at the Goodman Gallery and caused a sensation; all 225 copies were sold on the opening night.
  
  BIBLIOGRAPHY:
  F. Harmsen (ed.), Cecil Skotnes, (Cape Town, 1996)

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Category: Fine Art / South African Art

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