During his entre life, Pierneef had a close bond with Pretoria. That is where he was born, in 1886, and where he passed away, in 1957. It is, therefore, fitting to classify him as a Pretoria artist. He attended school at the Staatsmodel Skool in Pretoria and, then already, started to explore the bushveld surrounding Pretoria, and Meintjeskop on field expeditions with his Natural Science teacher, Dr Beyers. 

Following the Pierneef family’s return to Pretoria, in 1903, after the Anglo-Boer War, Pierneef spent much of his his time in Lodewyk de Jager’s tobacco shop, where he often made drawings on the backs of cigarette boxes. When he had time off, he would explore and sketch Church Square and the surrounding areas of Donkey Camp, the bushveld with its thorn trees, houses and buildings close by. Such expeditions were also undertaken with Pretoria-based mentors and artist friends.

In 1908 Pierneef started work as a library assistant at the State Library, where he had access to the latest publications covering a broad spectrum of disciplines. As he worked night-shifts, he had more time during the day to devote to his art. From 1908 until 1913 he participated in four exhibitions, all of them in Pretoria. Three of these were group exhibitions and the other his first solo exhibition, at De Bussy’s building in 1913. 

For himself and his wife, Agatha Deleen, Pierneef built the first of three houses with a studio, in 1910, at 25 De Waal Street. That was at the time when Pierneef started sketching Old Pretoria, followed by a series of sketches of the Union Buildings, on his beloved Meintjeskop, during the construction thereof from 1911 to 1913.

Close friendships developed between the Pierneefs and two Pretoria-based families — the Schweickerdts, who supplied Pierneef with his art material and other requirements, and the Van Schaiks, well-known book dealers and publishers.

At that time Pierneef and Agatha parted, and he got married to Marianne Schoep in 1924. Their only daughter, Marita, was born in Pretoria in 1927 and Pierneef built two more houses for himself and his family — the first in Villieria, followed by Elangeni, in 1939, on a piece of land outside of Pretoria.

The following Pretoria areas and landmarks provided Pierneef with subjects to explore throughout his career: Church Square, Marabastad, Skoolplaas, Meintjeskop, Derdepoort, Roodeplaat, Pienaar’s River and the Apies River.

Pierneef was laid to rest in a family grave in the Heroes’ Acre for South African legends in Pretoria Cemetery. 

Sy lewe lank het Pierneef ‘n noue verbintenis met Pretoria gehad. Dit is waar hy gebore is, in 1886, en waar hy gesterf het, in 1957. Dit is dus gepas om hom as ‘n Pretoriase kunstenaar te klassifiseer. Hy het die Staatsmodel Skool in Pretoria bygewoon en toe reeds die bosveld rondom Pretoria en Meintjeskop gedurende togte saam met sy Natuurwetenskap-onderwyser, dr. Beyers, verken.  

Na die Pierneef-gesin se terugkeer na Pretoria, in 1903, na die Anglo-Boereoorlog, het Piertneef baie tyd in ene Lodewyk de Jager se tabakwinkel deurgebring, waar hy dikwels tekeninge agterop sigaretdosies gemaak het. In sy vrye tyd het hy dikwels sketse van Kerkplein en die omliggende gebiede van Donkiekamp, die bosveld met sy doringbome, en nabygeleë huise en ander geboue gemaak, soms in die geselskap van mentors en kunsvriende van Pretoria.

In 1908 het Pierneef as biblioteek-assistent in die Staatsbiblioteek begin werk, waar hy toegang gehad het tot die jongste publikasies wat ‘n groot verskeidenheid van dissiplines gedek het. Aangesien hy nagskofte gewerk het, het hy bedags meer tyd gehad om aan sy kuns te wy. Van 1908 tot 1913 het hy aan vier uitstallings deelgeneem, almal in Pretoria. Drie hiervan was groep-uitstallings en die ander sy eerste solo-uitstalling in die De Bussy-gebou, in 1913.  

Vir homself en sy vrou Agatha Deleen het Pierneef die eerste van drie huise, met ‘n ateljee, in 1910 by De Waalstraat 25 gebou. Dit was toe hy Ou Pretoria begin skets het, gevolg deur ‘n reeks sketse van die Uniegebou, op sy geliefde Meintjeskop, tydens die oprigting van die gebou van 1911 tot 1913.

Daar het hegte vriendskapsbande tussen die Pierneefs en twee Pretoria-gesinne ontwikkel — die Schweickerdts, wat kunsmateriaal en ander toerusting aan Pierneef verskaf het, en die Van Schaiks, bekende boekhandelaars en uitgewers.

Op daardie tydstip is Pierneef en Agatha van mekaar vervreem en hy is in 1924 met Marianne Schoep getroud. Hul enigste dogter, Marita, is in 1927 in Pretoria gebore en Pierneef het nog twee huise vir homself en sy gesin gebou — die eerste in Villieria, gevolg deur Elangeni, in 1939, op grond buite Pretoria.  

In die volgende Pretoria-gebiede en -landmerke het Pierneef onderwerpe gevind om deur die loop van sy loopbaan te verken: Kerkplein, Marabastad, Skoolplaas, Meintjeskop, Derdepoort, Roodeplaat, Pienaarsrivier en die Apiesrivier.

Pierneef is in die Helde-akker vir Suid-Afrikaanse legendes in die Pretoriase begraafplaas ter ruste gelê.