Acrobats at the Villa

Provenance

Acquired from the artist by the current owner, 1983.

Notes

Neil Rodger's ability to fuse fantastical visions with outstanding technical precision made him a leading exponent in the field of realist painters in South Africa. His mastery of anatomy, perspective, together with an uncanny interpretation of materials such as flesh, fabric and stone give his paintings an otherworldly sense of spectacle. This large-scale painting features five acrobats in various poses atop Lippizaner horses within an Italianate piazza. The sensuality of the painting and dynamism of the subject elicits pageantry and procession within a timeless diorama-like composition. The tableau is simultaneously enigmatic and captivating.