Anton van Wouw

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Cachet: The accompanying commemorative envelope also carries a photograph of Van Wouw at work in his studio, taken around 1910.

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ANTON VAN WOUW Antonie (Anton) van Wouw is regarded as the father of South African sculpture. On 26 December 1862, he was born at Driebergen, Holland, where he showed an interest in art at an early age. As a young boy he received instruction in the art of drawing at the Acadamy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam. Later on, he also took lessons in sculpture. He displayed an exceptional talent for modelling and was apprenticed to a stucco decorator where he was taught to model birds, fruit and flowers. He then started modelling human figurines. His De Vogelaar (The Bird Catcher) is a well-known work of this period. During 1889, Van Wouw emigrated to South Africa and settled in Pretoria. There was little work for an artist in the young South African Republic and he was compelled to accept a job in a gun shop. His first art commission came from a well-known Pretoria businessman, Mr EF Bourke, who wanted wall paintings and modelled doormouldings in his lounge. In 1891 Van Wou accepted a post as cartoonist on the staff of The Weekly Press. After his marriage in 1892 to Sannie Celliers, sister of the Afrikaans poet Jan FE Celliers, he established his studio in their spacious home. In April 1895 he received citizenship of the South African Republic, whereupon he was appointed art teacher at three Government schools, viz. the Staatsmodelschool, the Staatsmeisjesschool and the Staatsgimnasium. In 1896 Van Wouw received a commission from the industrialist, Sammy Marks, for a statue of President Paul Kruger. This statue on Church Square, Pretoria, is a splendid example of Van Wouw's outstanding artistic perceptivity which enabled him not only to create a lifelike image, but also to depict the spirit and character of his subject. This ability is excellently portrayed by the sculpture group at the Women's Monument in Bloemfontein depicted on the 35¢ stamp. This monument was erected in memory of the women and children who died in the concentration camps during the Anglo Boer War. The design of architect Frans Soff and sculptor Anton van Wouw was chosen from some forty entries. Van Wouw went to Rome to work on the group and to have it casted. The seated figure of the woman with an emaciated dying child in her lap was inspired by Michelangelo's Pieta. This group of sculptures is a moving portrayal of human suffering and sorrow. The monument was unveiled on 16 December 1913. Van Wouw's ability as an artist is revealed at its best in his small sculptures. The Sekupu Player depicted on the 70c stamp was sculpted in 1907. The musician sits enraptured by the music from his simple instrument. This traditional musical instrument is known as a sekupu in the Sotho language. The name was corrupted phonetically to skapu, skapoe, kapoe or skapa. The Bushman figure, The Hunter, depicted on the 90c stamp was sculpted in 1902 and is a portrayal of concentration and supple mobility. Postman Lehman on the R1,05¢ stamp was sculpted in 1893 and is a sensitive characterisation of the well-known Pretoria official of that time. With humour and compassion, Van Wouw captured the courteous bow of the postman hoping for a tip after delivering the mail. The photograph of Van Wouw on the commemorative envelope dates from about 1910 and shows the artist at work in his studio. --- # ANTON VAN WOUW Antonie (Anton) van Wouw word as die grondlegger van die Suid-Afrikaanse beeldhoukuns beskou. Hy is op 26 Desember 1862 te Driebergen in Holland gebore en het vroeg reeds 'n belangstelling in kuns getoon. As jong seun het hy onderrig in die tekenkuns aan die Akademie van Beeldende Kunste in Rotterdam ontvang. Later het hy ook beeldhoulesse geneem. Hy het 'n besondere aanleg vir boetsering getoon en het toe by 'n stukkadoor gaan werk waar hy geleer het om voéls, vrugte en blomme te boetseer. Hy het ook begin om klein beeldjies van mense te boetseer. De Vogelaar is 'n bekende werk uit dié tydperk. In 1889 het Van Wouw na Suid-Afrika geémigreer en hom in Pretoria gevestig. In die jong Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek was daar nie veel werk vir 'n kunstenaar nie en hy moes noodgedwonge in 'n geweerwinkel gaan werk. Sy eerste kunsopdrag was dié van 'n bekende Pretoriase sakeman, mnr EF Bourke, wat hom gevra het om muurskilderye en geboetseerde deurlyste in sy woonkamer aan te bring. In 1891 is Van Wouw as spotprenttekenaar in die personeel van The Weekly Press aangestel. Nadat hy in 1892 met Sannie Celliers, suster van die digter Jan FE Celliers, getroud is, het hy sy ateliee in hulle ruim huis ingerig. In April 1895 het hy burgerskap van die ZAR ontvang waarna hy as kunsonderwyser aan die Staatsmodelschool, die Staatsmeisjesschool en die Staatsgimnasium aangestel is. In 1896 het Anton van Wouw van die nyweraar Sammy Marks opdrag ontvang om 'n standbeeld van president Paul Kruger te maak. Dié beeld, wat tans op Kerkplein in Pretoria staan, is 'n goeie voorbeeld van Van Wouw se merkwaardige artistieke waarnemingsvermoé wat hom in staat gestel het om nie net 'n lewensgetroue uiterlike te skep nie maar ook die gees en karakter van Sy onderwerp weer te gee. Hiervan is die beeldegroep van die Vrouemonument in Bloemfontein wat op die 35c-seél afgebeeld is, 'n uitmuntende voorbeeld. Dié monument is opgerig ter herinnering aan die vroue en kinders wat gedurende die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in die konsentrasiekampe gesterf het. Die ontwerp van die argitek Frans Soff en die beeldhouer Anton van Wouw is uit sowat veertig inskrywings gekies en Van Wouw het teen die einde van 1911 na Rome gegaan om die beeldegroep daar te maak en te laat giet. Die sittende vrou met die uitgeteerde, sterwende kind op haar skoot is deur Michelangelo se Pieta geinspireer. Dié figuregroep is 'n roerende uitbeelding van menslike lyding en leed. Die monument is op 16 Desember 1913 onthul. Van Wouw se kunstenaarskap kom ten beste tot iting in sy klein beeldjies. Die Sekupu-speler wat op die 70c-seél afgebeeld is, is in 1907 gemaak. Die musikant sit in vervoering en luister na die klanke wat hy uit sy eenvoudige instrument voortbring. Hierdie tradisionele musiekinstrument is as 'n sekupu in Sotho bekend. Dié naam is op die klank af vervorm tot skapu, skapoe, kapoe of skapa. Die Boesmanfiguur, Die Jagter, wat op die 90c-seél verskyn, is in 1902 geskep en spreek van konsentrasie en soepel beweeglikheid. Posman Lehman op die R1,05¢-seél is in 1893 gemaak en is 'n fyn karakterisering van dié bekende Pretoriase briewebesteller van destyds. Van Wouw het die galante buiginkie van die bode wat pas sy pos afgelewer het en moontlik 'n fooitjie gaan ontvang, met humor en deernis uitgebeeld. Die foto van Van Wouw op die gedenkkoevert dateer uit ongeveer 1910 en toon die kunstenaar waar hy in sy ateliee werk.

Additional information

35c stamp – the sculpture group from the Women's Monument in Bloemfontein, commemorating the women and children who died in concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War 70c stamp – The Sekupu Player (1907), a small bronze of a musician 90c stamp – The Hunter (1902), a Bushman figure R1,05 stamp – Postman Lehman (1893), a portrait of a well-known Pretoria postal official Commemorates Anton van Wouw as "the father of South African sculpture," marking the release of a stamp set dedicated to his most notable works.

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