8. Maggie Laubser  (South African 1886 - 1973)

Laubser grew up on a farm in the Malmesbury district and, on her return from Europe in 1924, stayed on the farm Oortmanspost in the same area. Her roots in a rural existence in Africa enabled Laubser to identify strongly with the German Expressionists' search for the primeval in art and life. This fusion of the aesthetics of German Expression with her own inner sensibilities is evident in this intense early work painted between 1928 and 1932. Her simplified forms and strong colours were a radical departure in South African art at a time when most of her contemporaries were painting naturalistic and descriptive images. Laubser portrays a shepherd by the name of 'ou Booi, die Boesman' who lived a humble pastoral life in the Swartland. The artist recalled that 'he told me many stories of the pioneering life in Bloemfontein, where he came from. I had great respect for the odd dignity of old Booi with his multi-coloured patched pants, his green worn frock-coat and the ostrich feather in his hat'. (Marais, p.20) Gregoire Boonzaier, who was a previous owner of this work, first met Laubser in the late 1920s through his father, D.C. Boonzaier, the prominent Cape art critic. He also owned no.9 in this catalogue. See Dalene Marais, Maggie Laubser: her paintings, drawings and graphics, Johannesburg, 1994, no.608. This work was included in Michael Stevenson and Deon Viljoen, The Cape house, February 1999, no.44.

The old shepherd 44.5 x 54.5cm, oil on canvas, signed bottom left 'M. Laubser' and inscribed on the reverse in Gregoire Boonzaier's hand 'Maggie Loubser' (sold)