National Treasures Exhibition Works from the Johannesburg Art Gallery at Hollard’s Villa Arcadia Until 15 October 2010
Irma Stern : Portrait of a young girl, 1944, Oil on canvas, 615 x 508 mm, Collection of the Johannesburg Art Gallery Villa Arcadia attempts to provide such an occasion. The exhibition began with a conversation between Charles Priebatsch, Harriet Hedley and Katherine Baxter around what might be done in recognition of the closing century that saw Lady Florence Phillips initiate the JAG’s Foundation Collection in 1910. The idea for the exhibition to be hosted at the home of late Lionel Phillips and his wife Florence evolved through discussions between Hollard and the Jeanetta Blignaut Art Consultancy. As the project grew, Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), Artinsure and certainly JAG were quick to pledge their support.
An Introduction Rarely is an institution presented with the opportunity to relocate part of its collection to the home of its originator and founding patron. It is an equally exceptional occasion for an exhibition curator to be tasked with establishing a selection, fair in terms of scope and variety, from a 100-year old collection of over nine thousand artworks. For practical reasons only about ten percent of works from the collection of the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) can be regularly displayed, making way for large-scale, contemporary exhibitions, such as the Kentridge and Dumile Feni retrospectives; the Deutsche Guggenheim Black Box; Africa Remix and the recent Without Masks Afro- Cuban retrospective. During these exhibitions the remaining ninety percent of works from the permanent collection are stored away, carefully preserved, researched, published, and exhibited internationally.
This is with the exception of four European works from the Foundation Collection. They include a portrait of Sir Lionel Phillips by Giovanni Boldini (1903); a portrait of Lady Phillips by Antonio Mancini (1909); a portrait of Sir Lionel Phillips’ sister, Lady Nicholson by Antonio Mancini (1909); and a curious painting by British painter Philip Burne-Jones entitled Mr G F Watts R.A. working on “Physical Energy” (1861). As the most fashionable portrait painter in Paris in the late 19th century, it was a triumph for Lionel Phillips to have had himself handsomely realised by the Italian artist Giovanni Boldini.
Any aspirations of presenting a genuinely comprehensive account of the museum’s collection were dashed on being ushered through the Phillips Gallery and into the depths of the museum. Here 17th century Dutch and 19th century French and British paintings by giants such as Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas live alongside the sculptures, drawings, prints and paintings of local masters Moses Kottler, Ezrom Legae, Gerard Sekoto and Alexis
Acutely aware of how little chance the public has to engage with these works, National Treasures at 58
Preller. Added to these are extensive holdings of traditional African art. In a different subterranean vault, works by modern heroes Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein are archived with floor-to-ceiling contemporary African works. In sum, this led to the recognition that a relatively restricted framework was in order. National Treasures thus aims to trace the growth and expansion of the South African collection over the past 100 years.
Business Art | October 2010