DIE HOUT- EN LINOSNEË VAN J.H. PIERNEEF

198 pages - 29 pages of letterpress, frontispiece of Pierneef in his studio, 165 black and white illustrations, quarter leather with marbled boards, titled gilt on the spine, a very good copy.

The influence on Pierneef’s work due to the exposure to the new art movements and trends in Europe during his visit to that continent in 1925 and1926 (at the age of 39) was secondary to the artistic impression made by the indigenous art and landscapes of Africa. The geometric quality of his work can also be ascribed to his graphic training and quest for economy and harmony of line and form even before he met the Dutch artist and art teacher Willem van Konijenburg who promoted a theory of strong mathematical and geometric principles of composition. Pierneef’s quest for establishing his own artistic identity led to some experimentation with abstract expressionism in 1928. The paintings on that exhibition shocked the traditionalists like Van Wouw, and Pierneef settled on his recognizable style of strongly linear, simplified forms with subdued colours.http://www.johansborman.co.za/artist-biographies/pierneef-jh/