Paintings Inspired by Love

Love has inspired artists since the days when they drew on cave walls with woolly mammoth blood. Van Gogh even cut off his ear for one lucky lady. So, in the spirit of Valentine’s day here are paintings inspired by love.

Dance at Bougival by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Renoir was a French painter who is associated with the Impressionist movement. Impressionism is a style of painting from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Impressionists tried to accurately paint reality in terms of light and color. This painting is one of three dance-themed paintings created by Renoir in the summer of 1883.

Le Printemps by Pierre Auguste Cot

 Cot painted in a style known as Beaux Arts Classicism. Beaux Arts Classicism is a type of ornate painting style, inspired by ancient art. It's named after L'ecole de Beaux Arts (the school of fine arts) in Paris, where Cot studied painting. The title of this painting, Le Printemps, is French for The Spring.

Putto's Kiss by Emile Munier

Emile Munier also painted in the Beaux Arts Classic style. Emile Munier became well known for his paintings of children and cherubs. A "putto" is a winged child - like an angel or cherub.

Venus and Sailor by Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali is famous for his bizarre, fantastical, surrealist paintings. He described his style as "concrete irrationality." Whatever you call it, Dali's paintings are beautiful, but most definitely whacked-out. The Venus and Sailor is actually among Dali's more tame paintings.

Presents

 Peter Sibeko

 Peter Sibeko, a mixed media specialist, was born in Orlando East on July 22, 1940. He comes from a family of eight. Sibeko dropped out of school when he was 15 to get a job to help his mother with the family finances. But even before Sibeko left school his teachers had noticed his natural artistic talent and encouraged him accordingly

He was, however, determined to pursue a career in art and in 1971 was spotted by David Mbele, an established artist. Impressed by what he saw, Mbele mentored Sibeko and introduced him to charcoal. Similarly, Solomon Sikhaulela taught him oil painting and so he learned different techniques and media.

While Sibeko could not leave his formal job in order to help the family, he managed to focus on art and spent most of his weekends selling his artworks in places like Johannesburg’s Carlton Centre as well as at galleries.


In 1986 Sibeko decided to open a gallery in Johannesburg which was later named the Soweto Art Gallery. Sibeko left his full time job in favour of this new venture and it started as an art studio but soon developed into a fully fledged gallery. To him the art gallery was extremely important on many counts as it was well positioned in the centre of the city, and so Soweto artists were able to assemble their work at one point for the purposes of selling in wider markets. The art gallery has since become a window for many black artists in and around Soweto. Sibeko continues to work as an artist  living in .

Presents

François Krige (1913 – 1994)

François Krige was born in July 1913, in the Klein Karoo. In 1927 Krige began his studies at the Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town. After two years he moved to Johannesburg and was immersed in the world of arts and literature. He exhibited three works in the annual South African exhibition in 1933, before leaving for Europe in 1934 to further his art studies. In 1936, after spending three years travelling, Krige decided to return to South Africa, settling in Johannesburg.

From 1946 Krige spent time taking study trips to Lesotho, as well as around the Cape Peninsula, and up the West Coast. He was particularly interested in depicting the traditional lifestyle of Cape Coloured fishermen from around the Western Cape. He carried out a large number of studies of the fishermen, their homes and villages, and old sailing craft. He illustrated a number of books, including his brother Uys’ Sol y Sombra. Krige made study trips to Botswana and Namibia, living amongst and sketching the Bushmen. His friendship with Walter Battiss may have had an influence on his interest in Bushman heritage and culture 

He seldom he exhibited and how reluctantly he sold many of his works, it is clear that he shunned the public role or posture.” Despite his reluctance to participate in exhibitions, Krige showed some of his work at the Association of Arts in both Cape Town and Pretoria. His work formed part of a travelling exhibition of graphic art around West Germany in 1978 and 1979. A number of his war works were shown at the South African National Museum of Military History in 1980. Apart from his war work, his focus remained on traditional categories.

Krige passed away on 19 February 1994, after a painful battle with cancer.