Notes

In 1910, two years after his return to Holland from South Africa, Frans Oerder married Gerda Pitlo, a painter noted for her botanical studies. Thus began Oerder’s association with the floral still life. A reproduction of the artist’s best-known work in this genre, Magnolias, was the New York Graphic Society’s best-selling still life ever; the original oil on canvas traded hands at a Strauss & Co sale in 2009 for R1 782 400. This lot showcases Oerder’s considered approach to composition and use of reduced colour palette, both hallmarks of his work. Similar to Magnolias, the floral arrangement in this lot has a dramatic architectural quality, with the stems of the anemone projecting laterally. The tablecloth is a masterstroke: while muted in colour, its recurring floral motif graphically mirrors the vivid display of cut flowers. - Sean O’Toole

Provenance

Sotheby Parke Bernet, Johannesburg, 17 March 1976, lot 114.

The Labia Collection.

Exhibited

South African National Gallery, Cape Town, Exhibition of 20th Century Still Life from the Collections of the Friends, April 1980.