Bosveld signed and dated 'J.H. Pierneef 53' (lower left) oil on canvas 77 x 102cm (30 5/16 x 40 3/16in).
Footnotes
Pierneef's paintings of the bosveld (bushveld) are understandably his most prized. This sub-tropical woodland, found in north-west South Africa, is notable for its tall trees and clusters of shrubs.
The artist takes this verdant panorama and transforms it, so that the whole landscape becomes a rhythm. One no longer looks at the component parts and the viewer is absorbed by the lyrical nature of the scene, the image is now a paean expressing Pierneef's love for his treasured land.
As Dr A.C. Bouman observes of a similar work in his 1948 publication: "If it were aiming at a faithful imitation of the wild semi-tropical bosveld, it would never show such a highly developed and organised order....Pierneef thus tries to perfect nature, but it is an arduous task."
BIBLIOGRAPHY A.C. Bouman, Painters in South Africa, (Cape Town, 1948)
