Provenance

Estate Late J Jaakke.

Private Collection.

Notes

People and landscapes are central to Verster’s compositions, but they aren't just there for representation, instead they serve as clear cues to the deeper, internal themes in his work. When he paints a figure, their outward appearance takes a back seat to the psychological or emotional insight the portrait reveals.

In 1976, Verster explained that the figures he painted were often real family members and friends, but they also functioned as projections of himself. By adding or omitting certain details, he gave each portrait a new, layered meaning.¹

¹ Esmé Berman (1996) Art and Artists of South Africa, Johannesburg: South Book Publishers, page 476 and 477.