La Motte’s association with the art of Jacob Hendrik Pierneef dates back to early 2002, with the creation of the estate’s premium wine, the Pierneef Collection. Ever since, Pierneef’s love for that which is truly South African, as well as his passion for his art are echoed in more than just the name of this wine collection and the estate’s Pierneef à La Motte Restaurant. There is also a strong synergy between La Motte and Pierneef with reference to a love for the South African landscape and nature, Afrikaans culture as well as an interest in the preservation of architecture.
The inspiration for the wine packaging design comes from the posthumous limited edition of 128 linocut prints by Pierneef that has been in the possession of La Motte’s owner Hanneli Rupert-Koegelenberg since the 1960’s when she received it as a gift from her father. As copyright still applied to Pierneef when the design was conceptualised, La Motte asked Pierneef’s only child, Marita Bailey, for the right to use his name and incorporate reproductions of the linocut prints onto the wine labels. Sharing the love and interest for arts with Hanneli and her husband and CEO of La Motte, Hein Koegelenberg, Marita granted permission and a friendship was born.
In 2009, Marita shared her wish to have her private collection of Pierneef artworks returned to South Africa from the UK, to be housed and preserved in a suitable environment and to be available for public viewing. This led to La Motte acquiring 42 original artworks – in various media, from preliminary and preparatory sketches to executed oil paintings, dating between 1908 and 1955. Pierneef’s oeuvre dates more or less from 1904 to 1957.
The works, complemented with personal memorabilia, found their new home in the La Motte Museum that became part of La Motte Redefined, a project that saw the estate introduce an internationally recognised wine tourism offering including among others, the La Motte Museum and Pierneef à La Motte Restaurant.
