Wenning (1949)

Published 62 years ago, this book remains unusual in being a tribute by two of the leading artists of their time to the painter whom they acknowledged as \"the father of our indigenous painters\" - Pieter Wenning (1873-1921).

The authors\' dustjacket blurb is an apt summary. \"It has been said that artists do not reach true greatness until after they are dead. Immortality often walks hand in hand with those who pour out their lives in a fleetng urge to express the beauty they see around them. So it was with Pieter Wenning, who came from Holland to the mundane occupation of bookseller\'s clerk in Pretoria. The urge to paint became an obsession, but it was only at the age of 42 that he was able to devote all his time to art. Already in failing health, he had only six years of feverish and uninterrupted activity before dying in poverty. His legacy of some 300 oils and 1000 watercolours and drawings captured the respect of the nation and prices rocketed in one of the most sensational treasure hunts in the history of South Africa.\",/p>

The dustjacket is complete but has unclosed tears at the front flap as well as chips at the corners and the top of the spine and stains on the back. The maroon cloth-boards, gilt to the upper panel, are fine, and the bindng is tight although cracked between p 58 and the first section of plates. The plain endpapers are unmarked but sunned in register with the jacket. The unmarked and undiscoloured vii + 58 pp of illustrated text are followed by a further 43 unnumbered pp of plates and a list of illustrations. There is a fair amount of full colour, and the illustrations - the whole book is on art paper - are bright.

Dustjacket apart, this is an excellent copy between very well-preserved covers.