Notes

JH Pierneef sets a veritable stage in this late, consummate oil painting, dated 1954: left, a rocky embankment forming rising tiers, and right, a muddy and curving track, with remnants of water puddles after a recent downpour. In true Pierneef style, the middle ground, painted predominantly in lime green, is obscured by this interesting outcrop. Pink and purple cone-shaped mountains create a perfect backdrop to the whole scene. Unlike his more familiar compositions, such as the immediately recognisable bushveld views, the present lot has a rather dreamlike quality and sensibility. A stark, bare tree trunk juts skywards on the left, with curious trees dotted in the middle ground, resplendent with ochre, orange, brown, fawn and green foliage.