The Sonop
Pierneef Collection
Die manskoshuis, Sonop, ‘n gevestigde, onafhanklike tuiste vir voltydse studente aan die Universiteit van Pretoria, is reeds meer as ‘n eeu oud. Sonop Christelike Tehuis, in die algemene omgangstaal as bloot Sonop bekend, is in 1916 deur die N.G. Gemeente Pretoria (Bosmanstraat) opgerig en word vandag deur die Bond vir Oud Sonoppers (BOS) besit. Bekende alumni van die tehuis sluit Dr. Anton Rupert, Mnr. Pik Botha, Prof. Murray Janson, Prof. Nico Smit, Prof. Willie Jonker en Dr. Uli Schmidt in.
Sonop se eerste huisvader, van 1916 tot 1937, Prof. W.P. de Villiers, was met Pierneef bevriend en op sy aanbeveling het die Raad van Sonop in veertien Pierneef-kunswerke, wat direk by die kunstenaar gekoop is, belê. Die versameling is in die Sonop-koshuis uitgestal.
In 1963 is vier van die werke gesteel en die jaar daarna is die oorblywende tien vir uitstalling en bewaring aan die Pretoriase Kunsmuseum, wat toe pas geopen is, geleen. Sedert die neëntigerjare was die werke deel van die Universiteit van Pretoria se Kunsversameling, onder die toesig van kurator Gerard de Kamper, en is dit vir bruikleen tot senior personeellede se beskikking gestel.
In 2019 is dié waardevolle Pierneefversameling van Sonop in bruikleen aan La Motte Museum, as ‘n gepaste tuiste tesame met die Pierneef-Erfenisversameling, toevertrou.
More than a century old, Sonop is an established, independent men’s residence for full-time students of the University of Pretoria. Sonop Christian Home, or just Sonop as it is known in everyday terms, was founded by the Dutch Reformed Church Pretoria (Bosman Street) in 1916 and now owned by the Society of Sonop Old Boy. Well-known alumni include Dr. Anton Rupert, Mr. Pik Botha, Prof. Murray Janson, Prof. Nico Smit, Prof. Willie Jonker and Dr. Uli Schmidt.
Sonop’s first house-master, Prof. WP de Villiers (1916 – 1937), was a friend of Pierneef and on his suggestion the Sonop Board invested in fourteen Pierneef artworks, acquired directly from the artist.
The collection of fourteen works was initially exhibited in Sonop, but when four works were stolen in 1963, the remaining works were loaned to the then newly opened Pretoria Art Museum (1964) for exhibition and safekeeping. Since the nineties, the collection has been in the care of the University of Pretoria Art Collection under the supervision of curator Gerard de Kamper.
With the wish of Sonop to share the collection with a wider audience and with Dr Rupert an old Sonop resident, these special works have now found a very fitting home as part of the Pierneef Heritage exhibition in the La Motte Museum.
