GERARD BHENGU (SOUTH AFRICA) SIGNED ORIGINAL WATERCOLOUR PAINTING PORTRAIT WOMAN
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Description: For sale is an original monochrome watercolour painting on paper depicting a portrait of a Smiling Young African Woman, painted by the highly regarded and listed South African artist Gerard Bhengu (1910-1990). The painting shows an attractive young African woman with a proud smile, warm eyes and dreadlocked hair. A typical portrait study by Bhengu, it is signed lower right "Gerard Bhengu". The painting measures 12" by 9.75" inches and is housed behind glass in a slim wood frame.
There is a condition report below. Higher resolution images are hosted in a gallery by Google at this link. The painting will be packed safely in a custom made plywood box. Worldwide shipping is included in the price.
Gerard Bhengu is a listed artist with sales at auction and hammer prices up to £11,000. A record of auction house sales can be found at this link to Findartinfo.com.
Buy Now for £695, or Make Your Best Offer for this painting before it goes to someone else. I do accept offers!
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Artist: Gerard Bhengu (1910-1990). Gerard Bhengu was born in southern KwaZulu-Natal at Centecow, a Roman Catholic mission station.As a child, Bhengu first showed signs of creativity by drawing with charcoal from the fire on the walls of his homestead. He received his early education at Centecow. His teacher spotted his talent and gave him a set of crayons.
In 1925 Bhengu was treated for tuberculosis by Dr Max Kohler in the Centecow mission hospital and paid for his treatment with artworks. Kohler introduced him to the old masters and Bhengu made copies of these works. Kohler was doing sociological and ethnographic research on the local Nguni language tribes, such as the Bhaca. Bhengu started working with Kohler as an illustrator for records on the differences and similarities found amongst these people. Some of these images were later published in Marriage Customs in Southern Natal (1933) and The Izangoma Diviners(1941), both written by Kohler.
Bhengu's talent was also encouraged by inspectors of education D.M Malcolm and S.R.Dent. They devised programmes to assist and develop him as an artist. This included plans for Bhengu to study at the Natal Technical College in Durban. But the idea was rejected by the head of that institution, Prof. O.J.P. Oxley, who recommended that Bhengu develop 'independently of institutional training', a phrase that was often used when black artists were denied formal art training. Subsequently Rev. Nichols from the Lutheran Church in Georgetown arranged for Bhengu to attend English and Art classes at Edendale Vocational College from 1934 to 1937, where his mentor was John Nixon.
In 1940 he was noticed by the Payne Brothers, a large department store in Durban, which sold paintings and also held art exhibitions. His work was sold here and he sometimes painted in the store 'to convince those Europeans who refused to believe that the works was really his'. He also exhibited at the African Art centre in Durban.
Dr Killie Campbell, whose Africana collection included many of his works, also commissioned him from 1942 onwards.
Bhengu painted exclusively in watercolour and sepia ink on paper. His works were seldom inscribed with a date, but almost always signed. He spelt his name Bengu before 1940, and these works are the most sought after.
From 1936 onwards , Bhengu's works could be seen on exhibitions such as the Empire Exhibition, Johannesburg (1936), the Non-European Exhibition at the International Club, Durban (1945), with Barbara Tyrrell and others at the Durban Art Gallery (1947), Solo Exhibition at Gallery des Beaux Arts, Johannesburg (1948), The Neglected Tradition at Johannesburg Art Gallery(1988) (which showed the development of black art into mainstream art under the title of Township Art), Spiritual Art of Natal at Tatham Art Gallery, Pietermaritzburg (1995) and Retrospective Exhibition at Tatham Art Gallery (1996).
Signed: Signed lower left "Gerard Bhengu".
Size: Painting is 12" by 9.75" inches.
Frame: Yes, housed behind glass in the original frame measuring 20" by 17.25" inches.
Condition: The painting is in a good condition, though the paper is slightly undulated/wavy along the edges against the present mount. The frame has some small marks. The photographs form part of the description, please study all the images to fully satisfy yourself as to the condition.
Price: Buy Now for £695 or Make Your Best Offer.
Postage: £ree Worldwide. Postage by DHL, UPS, Fedex or Parcel Force. The painting will be packed securely in a custom made plywood box.
Payment: By PayPal, Cheque, Postal Order. I also accept Instant Bank Transfer for any purchase, if you wish to pay this way please enquire for the details following your purchase.
Questions: If you have any questions about this listing, please use the 'Ask A Question' link at the bottom of this page. Or phone +44 (0)7478949783
