Landscape Namibia, 1982
Oil on canvas, 100 x 115 cm
Rembrandt van Rijn Art Foundation, Stellenbosch
Josua Nell was born in Keetmanshoop, Namibia. He studied art at Rhodes University and is regarded as an extremely versatile artist – painting and sculpting in different media with a wide-range of subject matter. He is most known for his large topographical Namibian landscapes in oil. He travelled extensively in the desert and regions of Namibia. Nell also lectured at Rhodes University as Associate Professor at the Art Department in the 1980s. As a challenge to the viewer of Nell’s artwork, the artist always ‘hides’ one animal within his landscapes for the viewer to find, an elephant, gemsbok and lion are amongst the animals that he has ‘camouflaged’ within the work. Today Nell is retired.
