Artists

Florence Zerffi was born in London, UK and, after studying art in London and Berlin, she moved to Cape Town in 1916. Zerffi soon became involved with the South African Society of Artists (SASA) and began to exhibit with them as well as in other group shows. Between 1921 and 1924, she was the Keeper of the Michaelis Collection held in the Old Town House on Greenmarket Square. Zerffi was affiliated with several other well-known South African Artists such as friend Nita Spilhaus, exhibition partner Ruth Prowse, and husband Strat Caldecott whom she married in 1924. The following year, the couple exhibited together for the first time and frequently did so until Caldecott’s death in 1929. After this, Zerffi taught private art classes around Cape Town and Johannes Meintjes was one of her students. She joined the New Group in 1938 and exhibited regularly with them. In 1956, Zerffi returned to London where she resided until her death in 1962.