Notes

Many of John Koenakeefe Mohl’s paintings depict evocative atmospheric effects, extreme weather and dramatic lighting conditions – Basotho horsemen wearing traditional conical hats clutch their blankets tightly closed at their throats as their mounts step gingerly through the deep snow; hard-hatted miners trudge wearily home in the smoky moonlight, the beams of their lamps lighting the way; teams of beaters are silhouetted against the blaze as they fight raging veld fires sweeping through dry, dusty bushveld landscapes at night; and township cyclists battle to stay upright against the driving wind and rain of a Highveld thunderstorm. In the present lot, the lyrical river landscape is devoid of people and activity, but full of drama nevertheless. The sun has just descended behind the distant hills and the sky is aglow with rosy pinks and acid yellows. The vivid colours are mirrored in the shimmering surface of the Vaal River as it wends its way towards the horizon, contrasting strongly with the dark, brooding vegetation that lines both its banks. The strips of grey cloud scudding across the sunset sky suggest that perhaps this is the quiet evening calm following the downpour of the late afternoon storm.

Provenance

The Toy Mostert Collection.