Notes

‘Scene in the Environs of a Castle is a canvas on which vague, partially-formed human figures in the foreground are seen against a background of fine, rich olive-greens. These are figures such as one would see in a dream, not human, not flesh and blood, yet still tormented in their Bacchante attitudes by human passions. In the background on the left, also dreamlike, a castle emerges, symbol of untouched purity, a kind of Holy Grail castle to which these people reach out in spirit. Words cannot convey the delicacy of these colours, the subdued and gentle sheen of the cloud shapes, this far-off citadel. This is a painting to be set to music.’¹

WEG Louw (1959) ‘Jean Welz’, in Our Art I, Pretoria: Foundation for Education, Science and Technology, pages 121 to 122.

Provenance

Stephan Welz & Co in association with Sotheby's, Johannesburg, 17 May 1999, lot 254 with the title Figures in a Landscape.

The Tasso Foundation Collection of Important South African Art assembled by the Late Giulio Bertrand of Morgenster Estate.

Literature

WEG Louw (1959) ‘Jean Welz’, in Our Art I, Pretoria: Foundation for Education, Science and Technology, pages 121 to 122 and illustrated on page 124, figure VI.