Weens Pierneef se groot liefde vir en belangstelling in bome het hy verskeie spesies verken en bestudeer. Een van die bome wat hy graag deur sy hele skilderloopbaan uitgebeeld het, was die wilger. In van sy eerste werke, tussen 1905 en 1908, het die wilgerboom reeds ’n prominente plek ingeneem op Pierneef se lys voorkeuronderwerpe.

In sommige van die oorspronklike titels van Pierneef se wilgerkunswerke noem hy dit die “wilkers”. Die “wilkers” is veral langs die Vaal- en Pienaarsrivier uitgebeeld. ’n Gedeelte van die Pienaarsrivier het oor die plaas Roodeplaat (noord van Pretoria), of “Rooiplaat” soos Pierneef dit genoem het, geloop. Na dié einste plaas het Pierneef oor die jare saam met sy peetpa, die Suid-Afrikaanse beeldhouer Anton van Wouw, weggebreek vir ’n naweek of week van kampeer, visvang en skilder. Pierneef het ook in sy skooldae saam met vriende soos Fanie Eloff en Gordon Leith tyd langs die Pienaarsrivier deurgebring. Sy lang verbintenis en nostalgiese band met die plek blyk daaruit dat die Pienaarsrivier gereeld deur Pierneef se loopbaan sy verskyning in ’n aantal van sy werke maak.

Pierneef se ateljee by De Waalstraat 25, Pretoria, die huis wat hy self in 1910 gebou het, het jare lank in die skadu van ’n groot wilgerboom gestaan. Die wilger het dan ook spesiale aandag in Pierneef se eerste solo-uitstalling in 1913 geniet, dermate dat ’n resensent van Pretoria News in ’n uiters gunstige resensie die uitstalling as “The cult of the willow” beskryf het.

Oor die wilger het Pierneef die volgende gesê:
“Hij heeft me al zo vaak tot studie gediend. Elke buiging van zijn stam of zijn zwaardere takken ken ik, elke wrong in zijn bast zou ik uit hoofd kunnen tekenen. De wilgerboom is de mooiste boom die ik in Z.A. ken, vooral in de winter.”

Pierneef het die wilger verskillende tye van die dag en jaar bestudeer. Die verskillende kleure, skadu’s en patroon van die bas en takke, veral in die winter, het hy deeglik verken. In sy linosneewerke het hy die wilger se hang- of treurtakke en -blare as ’n vleiende silhoeët in komposisies gebruik sodat dit byna ’n sierraam vir die prentvlak uitgemaak het. Buiten in linosneë, verskyn die wilger ook in ’n aantal waterverf- en veral olieverfskilderye.

Due to Pierneef’s great love of and interest in trees, he explored and studied various species. One of the trees that he often portrayed throughout his career as an artist was the willow. Already in some of his early works of between 1905 and 1908, the willow had a prominent place on Pierneef’s list of favourite subjects.

In some of the original titles of Pierneef’s willow artworks, he called the tree “wilkers”. The “wilkers” were specifically depicted along the Vaal River and the Pienaar’s River. A section of the Pienaar’s River ran through the farm Roodeplaat (north of Pretoria), which Pierneef called “Rooiplaat”. On this very farm, Pierneef and his godfather, South African sculptor Anton van Wouw, frequently spent weekends or weeks camping, fishing and painting. During his school years, Pierneef also spent time on the banks of the Pienaar’s River with friends such as Fanie Eloff and Gordon Leith. His longstanding association and nostalgic bond with the location is evident from the frequent appearance of the Pienaar’s River in various works throughout Pierneef’s career.

For years, Pierneef’s studio at 25 De Waal Street, Pretoria, the house that he himself built in 1910, was shaded by a large willow tree. It comes as no surprise, then, that the willow also received special attention in Pierneef’s first solo exhibition in 1913, to such an extent that a reviewer of the Pretoria News, in a rave review, dubbed the exhibition “The cult of the willow”.

Pierneef said the following about the willow:
“I have studied the tree to the point of exhaustion. I know every bend in its trunk or its heavy branches. I could draw by heart every gnarl in its bark. The willow is the most beautiful tree that I know in South Africa, especially in winter.”

Pierneef studied the willow at various times of the day and year. He made an in-depth study of the colours, shadows and pattern of the trunk and branches, especially in winter. In his linocuts, Pierneef used the willow’s hanging or weeping branches and leaves as a complementary silhouette in compositions, almost serving as a decorative frame for the picture. Apart from in linocuts, the willow also appears in a number of watercolours and specifically oil-paintings.

Bronne / Sources

Pretoria News. The Impressionist School — The Cult of the Willow. Friday, 3 October 1913.
Joubert, D M. 1990. Preface, in J H Pierneef: His life and his work. Nel, P G (eds). Perskor: Cape Town.

Versamelings / Collections

Sketse en waterverfstudies van Pierneef se studio by De Waalstraat 25 / Sketches and watercolour studies of Pierneef’s studio at 25 De Waal Street: Museum Africa, Johannesburg
Wilgerbome langs die Vaal- en Pienaarsrivier / Willow trees on the Vaal and Pienaar’s Rivers: DITSONG kultuur-historiese museum / DITSONG museum of cultural history, Pretoria; Pretoriase Kunsmuseum / Pretoria Art Museum
Linosneë met wilgers / Linocuts with willows: La Motte Wynlandgoed / Wine Estate