- Anton van Wouw
Anton van Wouw (
20 November 1862 ,Driebergen -30 July 1945 ,Pretoria ) was a Dutch-born sculptor regarded as the father ofSouth African sculpture .Biography
Van Wouw decided to move to the developing city of
Pretoria at the age of 28 and waited for ten years to receive his first commission. This was from financierSammy Marks to create a monumental statue ofPaul Kruger , which stands on Church Square.During his time spent in the wilderness he developed a great admiration for the
Boer nation. This also influenced his artistic development a great deal. He identified with the struggles and hopes of these people and this commitment was reflected in his work.A great deal of his work, although representational, captures the rugged and emotional essence of his subjects. One of his most notable pieces of work is the figure of a woman used in the Women’s Monument near
Bloemfontein . He collaborated on this with the architect Frans Soff. He was also responsible for the less successful figure of a woman incorporated into the Voortrekker Monument near Pretoria, a powerful bust of GeneralChristiaan de Wet and the statue ofLouis Botha inDurban .He also portrayed indigenous peoples and among these smaller sculptures some of his finest work can be found. They are much less formal than his larger work and are appealing in their vivid and lifelike facial expressions.
Work
* Woman and Children, completed in 1938. This bronse statue honoring the role the Voortrekker women played in the
Great Trek was van Wouw's last commission. The sculpture is located at the base of theVoortrekker Monument inPretoria , stands 4.1 meter tall and weights 2.5 ton. The casting was done by Renzo Vignali inPretoria . Models for the statue were Isabel Snyman as the woman, Betty Wolk as the girl and Joseph Goldstein as the boy.Notes
ee also
References
External links
* [http://www.up.ac.za/up/web/af/life/cultural_affairs/Van_Wouw/ Anton van Wouw]
* [http://www.up.ac.za/up/web/af/life/cultural_affairs/Van_Wouw/Huis.html Anton van Wouw House]
* [http://www.up.ac.za/up/web/af/life/cultural_affairs/Van_Wouw/Stories/MT_Steyn.html Bust of MT Steyn]
* [http://www.arcyart.com/sah-vanwouw.htm Arcy Art]
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