Die twintigerjare was vir Pierneef ’n tydperk van vernuwing en eksperimentering. Met sy toer deur Europa in 1925 - 1926 was die Art Nouveau-styl nog gewild. Hy het hom hoofsaaklik in Amsterdam gevestig, maar het in dié tyd ook na Düsseldorf, München, Berlyn, Parys, Antwerpen en Brugge gereis om hom van die nuwer kunsstrominge te vergewis.

P A (Anton) Hendriks, ’n kunsdosent in Amsterdam met wie Pierneef bevriend was, het hom aan die Nederlandse wiskundige en kunsteoretikus Willem van Konijnenburg (1868 - 1943) voorgestel. Van Konijnenburg se teorieë oor hoe om harmonie, balans en eenheid deur middel van wiskundige verhoudings, liniêre ritme en vereenvoudigde vorm te bereik, het Pierneef so beïndruk dat dit die grondslag vir sy eie ikoniese kunsstyl gelê het. Pierneef het later erken dat Van Konijnenburg se werk hom die insig gebied het waarna hy op soek was.

Die Hollands-Indonesiese kunstenaar Jan Toorop (1858 - 1925), met wie Pierneef ook in aanraking was, het in verskillende style gewerk, in die besonder simbolisme en Art Nouveau. Veral Toorop se grafiese werk het by Pierneef aanklank gevind. Van hierdie beginsels het later sterk tot uiting gekom in sy landskapstudies, vernaamlik in die uitbeelding van ligeffekte.

Daarbenewens het Pierneef met Johannes Ten Klooster (1873 - 1940) kennis gemaak, wat ook onder Van Konijnenburg gestudeer het. Hy was veral aangetrokke tot Ten Klooster se houtsneë en tekeninge.

Pierneef het geglo dat die landskap die beste uitgebeeld kon word deur die grootsheid daarvan te beklemtoon. Die grootsheid was vir hom die berge, riviere, stapelwolke, bosse en die veld. Só, het hy gereken, kon die uitgestrektheid van die Suid-Afrikaanse landskap op sy beste weergegee word.

As gevolg hiervan het Pierneef van sy aanvanklike, meer spontane impressionistiese skilderstyl afgesien. In sy nuwe styl het hy sterk klem gelê op die onderliggende struktuur van die natuur en die opgeboude omgewing, en veel minder op die ligeffekte op verskillende vlakke wat sy vroeëre werk gekenmerk het.

Pierneef is boonop beïnvloed deur die Switserse kunstenaar Ferdinand Hodler (1853 - 1918), wat in sy werk die noordelike romantiese tradisie nagevolg het. Pierneef skryf in 1915 in ’n brief aan Erich Mayer dat Hodler se dekoratiewe werk “pragtig aanpas” by dié van die San, en dat hy glo dat dit die grondslag kan wees waarop ’n Suid-Afrikaanse kunsstyl gebou kan word. Hodler het na die natuur as ’n simbool van religieuse inhoud gekyk.

Hodler, wat die simbolisme aangehang het, het sterk menings gehad oor die belang van eenheid en harmonie in ’n kunswerk en word ook as ’n belangrike figuur in die vestiging van abstraksie in 20ste-eeuse kuns beskou.

Ander eendersdenkendes wat aanhangers van abstraksie geword het en ook deur bogenoemde idees beïnvloed is, was Franz Marc en Piet Mondrian. Kunstenaars wat in hulle soeke na abstraksie spesifiek werk gelewer het wat van natuursimboliek gebruik gemaak het om op vergeesteliking en verinnerliking te dui, was Wassily Kandinsky, ’n geesgenoot van Marc, wat ook deur Van Konijnenburg beïnvloed is, sowel as Mark Rothko.

The 1920s was a period of renewal and experimentation for Pierneef. At the time of his tour of Europe in 1925 -1926, the Art Nouveau style was still very popular. He was mainly based in Amsterdam, but also visited Düsseldorf, Munich, Berlin, Paris, Antwerp and Bruges to familiarise himself with the newer art movements.

P A (Anton) Hendriks, an art lecturer in Amsterdam whom Pierneef had befriended, introduced him to the Dutch mathematician and art theoretician Willem van Konijnenburg (1868 - 1943). Van Konijnenburg’s theories on how to achieve harmony, balance and unity by means of mathematical proportions, linear rhythm and simplified form impressed Pierneef to such an extent that it became the foundation for his own iconic art style. Pierneef later acknowledged that Van Konijnenburg’s work had provided him with the insight he was looking for.

The Dutch-Indonesian artist Jan Toorop (1858 - 1925), with whom Pierneef also had contact, worked in various styles, predominantly symbolism and Art Nouveau. Particularly Toorop’s graphic work resonated with Pierneef. Some of these principles later strongly manifested in his landscape studies, especially in the representation of light effects.

Moreover, Pierneef got acquainted with Johannes Ten Klooster (1873 - 1940), who also studied under Van Konijnenburg. He was particularly intrigued by Ten Klooster’s woodcuts and sketches.

Pierneef believed that the best way to capture the landscape was to emphasise its magnificence. To him, this magnificence was to be found in the mountains, rivers, cumulus clouds, the bushes and the veld. In this way, he argued, the vastness of the South African landscape could be portrayed at its best.

As a result, Pierneef parted with his early, more spontaneous impressionistic painting style. In his new style, he placed strong emphasis on the underlying structure of nature and the built environment, and far less on the light effects on various surfaces, which had been a distinguishing feature of his earlier work.

In addition, Pierneef was influenced by Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler (1853 - 1918), whose work reflected the northern romantic tradition. In a letter to Erich Mayer, Pierneef, in 1915, wrote that Hodler’s decorative work “ties in beautifully” with the art of the San, and that he believed this could be the foundation on which a South African art style could be built. Hodler viewed nature as a symbol of religious content.

Hodler, who favoured symbolism, had strong opinions on the importance of unity and harmony in an artwork and is also recognised as an important figure in the establishment of abstraction in 20^th-century art.

Other kindred-spirits who became supporters of abstraction and were also influenced by the aforementioned ideas were Franz Marc and Piet Mondrian. Artists who, in their search for abstraction, specifically produced work that made use of natural symbolism to denote a deepening and spiritualisation were Wassily Kandinsky, who shared Marc’s thinking and was also influenced by Van Konijnenburg, as well as Mark Rothko.  

Teks / Text: Amanda Botha