Jacob Hendrik Pierneef’s great painting ‘The Baobab Tree’ sold on 10 September 2008 at Bonhams fourth South African Art sale for a whopping £826,400, creating a new record price for South African Art.

The pre-sale estimate of £200,000 to £300,000 was almost tripled at the sale, and in doing so toppled the previous record holder, a painting by Irma Stern, which made around £500,000 in a previous sale. The result is part of a trend of world record prices being repeatedly broken at Bonhams sales of South African Art in London. The sale total of £7.1m or R100m is £2m up on the last South African Sale at Bonhams held on 30 January 2008.

The painting of baobab trees by Jacob Hendrik Pierneef (1886-1957) is a powerful illustration by the artist who was selected to bring South African Art to London when he decorated South Africa House in Trafalgar Square in the 1930’s.

This painting is unquestionably a product of Pierneef at his finest. The majestic baobab tree stands proud dominating the landscape, with the five people at the foot of the tree and the signs of human habitation in the background, dwarfed by comparison. It is reasonable to assume that The Baobab Tree was painted around 1934. It is certainly consistent with Pierneef’s style at the time and there is another painting of a baobab tree painted in1934 which in terms of style and composition is very similar to The Baobab Tree. The tree and, indeed the landscape and figures, have an emblematic quality. This painting, therefore, is a magnificent example of Pierneef’s achievement in creating a landscape painting that is uniquely and essentially South African.

Auction info www.bonhams.com/southafrica

Posted: 09|15|08 at 9:09 am. Filed under: UK News.