Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef was a South African landscape artist.
Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef was born on (13 August 1886) in Pretoria from Dutch parents and died at the aged of 71 in Pretoria on (14 November 1957).
Pierneef life history :
He started his high school career at the Staatsmodelschool, where he took his first art classes, but it was interrupted by the Second Boer War. Due to the war, the Pierneef family decided to move back to the Netherlands in 1901. While there he studied at the Rotterdamse Kunstakademie. During this time, he also came into contact with the works of the old masters, which left a lasting impression on him.
Pierneef returned to Pretoria at the age of 18, where he met with and was encouraged by already established South African artists such as his godfather Anton van Wouw, Hugo Naude and Frans Oerder. His first public exhibition, where his work was generally well received, was with van Wouw and Naude in 1902. He worked at the State Library during the night for almost ten years and painted in his studio during the day.
Pierneef held his first solo exhibition in 1913, to great critical acclaim, some even describing his work as that of a genius, which inspired him greatly. His second solo exhibition was held two years later and was also very well received.
Pierneef visited South-West Africa (now Namibia) from 1923 to 1924, where he sketched extensively for paintings that would later be completed in his studio. These would later be considered some of his best works.
Pierneef accepted a commission in 1929 to paint 32 panels for the interior of the then-new Johannesburg Railway Station, a task he completed by 1932. The panels are now to be seen at the Rupert Museum in Stellenbosch (having previously been displayed in Graaff-Reinet) and are considered to be some of his best work.
