Na Pierneef se terugkeer na Suid-Afrika, in 1903, het hy eers in 1923 die geleentheid gekry het om buite die grense van Suid-Afrika te reis. In die vroeë stadium van Pierneef se loopbaan het hy finansieel gesukkel, veral na sy bedanking by die Staatsbiblioteek in 1917. In 1919 is sy diens as kunsdosent by die Pretoriase en Heidelbergse Normaalkollege ook beëindig. Die voortbestaan van kolleges self het ook tot ‘n einde gekom. Sy persoonlike lewe en sy huwelik met Agatha (sy eerste vrou, met wie hy in 1910 getroud is) was ook aan die ongelukkige kant.

Verskeie kunstenaars en vriende, soos Toon van den Heever, het Pierneef aangemoedig om ‘n reis na die toenmalige Suidwes-Afrika (tans Namibië) te onderneem, maar dit was op die ou einde die inspirasie van die Duitse kunstenaar, Hans Aschenborn, wat Pierneef laat besluit het om wel dié land te besoek.

Pierneef het op 22 April 1923 in Namibië aangekom en eers by Van den Heever tuisgegaan. Met die oop landskap, woestyn, oneindigende bergreekse en bevorderlike lig, was Pierneef op ‘n plek waar hy kon doen waarvoor hy lief was —om te skilder terwyl hy die natuur verken. Dit was gedurende hierdie reis dat Pierneef gereeld met Anton van Wouw en vriend Thom Steele gekorrespondeer het. Uit verskeie van die briewe kan ‘n mens agterkom dat Pierneef sy reis verskriklik geniet het. Hy skryf so aan Steele “…this country is individual, but interesting to paint. The variety is intense and to do things properly one must stay here a whole year”. Pierneef het ongelukkig nie ‘n hele jaar gebly nie, maar net drie maande. Hy het ook daarin geslaag om na twee maande in Namibië, op 20 Junie 1923, ‘n solo-uitstalling van dertig werke — olieverfskilderye en linosneë — in Windhoek aan te bied.

Gedurende Julie die volgende jaar het Pierneef ‘n tweede keer na Namibië gereis en tot Oktober gebly. Daar word in verskeie bronne gemeld dat die reise na Namibië in 1923 en 1924 lewe in Pierneef se werk teruggebring het. Sy palet is ook aangepas om meer oranje, pienk en geel daarby in te skakel. Anton Hendricks, geliefde vriend en tydgenoot van Pierneef, skryf dat sy werk opwinding en tevredenheid uitgestraal het. Die volgende gebiede, spesifiek met berge, kom in sy werke voor: Kameelberg, Kunene, Erongo, Karibib, Okahandja, Mariental, VIsrivier Canyon, Ausberg, Otijwarongo, Usakos en Amatako.

Pierneef het ‘n Erongo-toneel vir sy bekende Komposisie in Blou (c1928) gebruik, en die Okahandja-berge en Karibib-omgewing as twee tonele vir die Johannesburgse Stasiepanele.

After Pierneef’s return to South Africa, in 1903, his first opportunity to travel outside South Africa arose in 1923. In the early stages of his career he battled financially, especially after his resignation at the State Library in 1917. Furthermore, his services as art lecturer at the Pretoria and Heidelberg Normal Colleges were terminated in 1919. The existence of colleges themselves came to an end. To worsen matters, his personal life and marriage (to his first wife whom he married in 1910) was also unhappy.  

Several artists and friends, such as Toon van den Heever, encouraged Pierneef to visit the then Sout West Africa (Namibia), but in the end it was the inspiration of the German artist, Hans Aschenborn, that finally convinced Pierneef to undertake the journey.  

Pierneef arrived in Namibia on 22 April 1923 and first stayed with Van den Heever. Surrouded by the open landscape, desert and endless mountain ranges and favourable light, Pierneef was at a place where he could do what he loved — to paint while exploring nature. It was during this journey that Pierneef regularly corresponded with Anton van Wouw and his friend Thom Steele.  In several letters Pierneef expressed his great enjoyment of the journey. Hy writes as follows to Steele: “…this country is individual, but interesting to paint. The variety is intense and to do things properly one must stay here a whole year”. Unfortunately, Pierneef did not stay for a whole year, but only for three months. After two months in Namibia he succeeded in presenting a solo exhibition of thirty works — oil-paintings and linocuts — in Windhoek on 20 June 1923.

During July the next year Pierneef visited Namibia for the second time and stayed until October. Some sources mention that the journeys to Namibia in 1923 and 1924 brought new life to Pierneef’s work. His palette was also modified, to include more orange, pink and yellow tones. Anton Hendricks, beloved friend and contemporary of Pierneef, writes that his work radiated excitement and satisfaction. The following areas, specifically with mountains, are featured in his works: Kameelberg, Kunene, Erongo, Karibib, Okahandja, Mariental, Fish River Canyon, Ausberg, Otijwarongo, Usakos and Amatako.

Pierneef used an Erongo scene for his well-known Composition in Blue (c1928), and the Okahandja mountains and Karibib area as two scenes for the Johannesburg Station Panels.

Bron / Source

Nel, P G (eds.) 1990. J H Pierneef: His life and his work. p.59-62.