Ivor Markman

Ivor Markman
 
Not too many old Eastern Cape neo-gothic missionary churches can lay claim to be home to one of South Africa’s well-known art collections. 
One church - known as the “Klein London” Church - situated in Middle Street, Graaff-Reinet, can do so for it houses 32 important paintings by the influential South African artist, Jacob Hendrik Pierneef. 
On a recent visit to the lovely Karoo town, I was intrigued to see a signpost pointing to the Pierneef Museum. 
What on earth is the connection between Graaff-Reinet and Pierneef? I thought. 
Curiosity got the better of me and, having a couple of hours to spare, I decided to check it out. 
What a surprise. 
I immediately recognised the paintings as those which used to hang in the concourse of the Johannesburg railway station. 
The artworks were painted in a style some art critics claim revolutionized South African art in the early 20th century. 
When the old Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek Park Station was replaced by the  Johannesburg Station in 1929, Pierneef, one of South Africa’s top artists, was commissioned to paint a series of 32 paintings of South African landscapes. 
The purpose of the paintings, apart from decorating the station, was to promote various South African Railways destinations, or, at least, destinations which were easily accessible from nearby stations. 
The paintings were to be hung high up on the wall of the Station so the artist had to take special cognisance of the fact. 
Pierneef received tremendous publicity from this assignment.

In the 1930s, before the advent of popular air travel, railway stations were the primary departure and arrival points. 
Most travellers, domestic and international, used the railways. 
For 12 years the paintings hung at the station until the Press pointed out the artworks were covered in soot and grime from the steam engines. 
As the Royal family were due in South Africa the following year, 1947, Pierneef was contacted and asked to clean and repair them. 
Acting on his suggestion, the paintings were then placed behind glass to protect them against further damage. 
The panels were then transferred to a new concourse at the station in the 1960s, where they hung until 1971.

At that time they were moved for display at the Pretoria Art Gallery. 
On the centenary of Pierneef’s birth, in 1986, the artworks were once again displayed at the Pretoria gallery. 
So how did they get to an old Graaff-Reinet church? 
Owing to the discovery of gold and diamonds in Kimberley and Johannesburg, many members of the “Klein London” church left town, leaving the remaining members with no option but to join the church in Parsonage Street. 
The Middle Street Church was closed and the building was bought by SASKO who used it for a while as a flour storeroom. 
On the recommendation of Dr Anton Rupert, SASKO donated the church in 1986 to the Save Reinet Foundation. Rupert then became involved and contributed to the restoration of the building. 
The building was named after his brother Jan, who passed away in 1984. 
On January 22, 1979, the station panels, as they were now called, were placed in the new railway museum and art gallery, but eight years later, for security and preservation reasons and also because of a lack of space, the South African Transport Services came to an agreement with the Johannesburg Art Gallery for the paintings to be put on permanent display. 
“These panels were given to the Johannesburg Art Gallery on permanent loan but they didn't display them, they stored them. 
“They would take out one or two from time to time that would fit in with a certain theme,” said gallery curator, Audré du Preez. 
When Dr Anton Rupert heard the paintings were in storage, his foundation stepped in and negotiated a new contract with Transnet. 
“They were looking for something to put in this church so the two came together and it worked out fine,” said du Preez. 
The Rupert Art Foundation now carries all the running costs of the Pierneef Museum. 
The 32 panels are considered to be the peak of Pierneef’s career. 
There are 28 oil on canvas paintings and a further four oil paintings of indigenous trees on compressed board. 
“The style is a combination, little bit art deco, post impressionism, little bit of cubism, that's the combination of the two,” said du Preez. 
He used muted colours and no harsh or bright tones. The paints were very thinly applied in order to blend in with the station’s marble panels. 
“His cloud formations are very much exaggerated in these, but also keep in mind when they were going to be high up it would be more in perspective,” said du Preez. 
Although outlining was part of his style, Pierneef used it a lot more in the station panels than in his other paintings. 
Pierneef did so many preliminary drawings for the execution of this commission, he afterwards had sufficient material on which to base many future oil and watercolour paintings as well as a number of linocuts.

 

Text and Photos: Copyright Ivor Markman 2013.