Nine signed fish paintings with a J L B Smith connection

"David Voorvelt (1947-2016) was born in Kenya of Dutch descent and spent most of his life in Africa. He was the senior artist at what was then called the J L B Smith Institute of Ichthyology (now the South African Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity) from 1983 to 1996. Described as an amazing artist in many fields. For example, many fishes and other aquatic life change colour when removed from the water so Voorvelt (non-scubadiver) would wear a mask and peer underwater as divers brought life fish to him to sketch. He used this and other methods to achieve [his] accurate paintings, with every anatomical feature and other details captured. His work has appeared in many scientific journals and elsewhere. Voorvelt did a painting of a live coelacanth in its cave off Sodwana Bay for then President Thabo Mbeki, who presented it to Emperor Akhito of Japan, who himself was an ichthyologist. He demonstrated his flair in many other art forms, and after leaving the Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity he moved to Malawi, where he became the senior artist for the Lake Malawi/Nyasa Biodiversity Conservation Programme." - Tony and Anthea Ribbank former artist-colleagues of Voorvelt at the Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity.

The painting are 360 x 220 x 22 mm, glazed, with a wooden frame and signed "Dave Voorvelt".

The subject of the paintings are:

1. Argyrosomus hololepidotus. Madagascar Kob
2. Lichia amia. Garrick or Leervis.
3. Cymatoceps nasutus. Black Musselcracker
4. Chrysoblephus laticeps. Red Roman
5. Pomatomus saltatrix. Shad or Elf or Bluefish
6. Pomadasys commersonnii. Small Spotted Grunter
7. Petrus rupestris. Red Steenbras
8. Chrysoblephus cristiceps. Dageraad or Daggerhead
9. Coracinus capensis or Coracinus dichistius. Galjoen or Black Bream or Blackfish. South Africa's national fish

CONDITION. Signed, otherwise unmarked, and all Fine.