HISTORY:
Our family is very much into "the Arts" in all it's forms, from music to art to chinaware and even classic old (quality) technology!
Our focus has always been landscapes, both Australian and New Zealand but along the years we also have some other "interesting" pieces of art that will be seeking new homes as well. This artwork definitely fits the "interesting" genre as we are used to landscapes and decided many years ago to purchase this painting, being something completely different!
Our walls are overloaded with art and it's time to put up some new works so many of our collection must now find new homes to love and cherish them.
This original watercolour by Hargreaves is one of the artworks that doesn't sit well with our "new" collection and it must now find a new home.
It is UNFRAMED (but in sealed cello) and the reasons behind this are below.
HARGREAVES NTUKWANA:
Born in Johannesburg, 1938. He studied with Cecil Scotties at the African School of Art in Harare and then went onto further studies at the Artists' Colony in Toledo, Spain where he studied under the master Costa Lidas. His first one man exhibition took place in London in 1973 and further exhibitions were held in Paris, Munich, Frankfurt, Denhaag and Bonn. In the 1980's he has exhibited in Denmark, Zurich and San Diego in February 1986. He has also exhibited at the Oglethorpe University Art Gallery in Atlanta Georgia towards the end of the 1980's.
This work is an example of his very contemporary technique of blowing diluted oils onto paper, wiping the excess with cloth and cotton swabs then inking over the color background when it is dry. The ink is jet black and appears to be "Indian ink". We believe this one of his earlier works as in later life he suffered from Parkinson's decease and was unable to control the brush as he once did but this artwork is flowing and shows no signs affected brush strokes. He died in 1998.
Hargreaves Ntukwana
South Africa
Diluted Oil/watercolour on paper
THE TITLE IS UNKNOWN SO WE HAVE CALLED IT ABSTRACT FIGURE #1
The artwork is similarly themed to another of his works, Mathematician. The figure has numbers on the fingers, these being 1. 3. 8. 10. 2.
1970's
The age of the artwork is estimated and based on the period of time that we obtained the painting while in Europe and we do suspect (but do not know for sure) that the four artworks we currently have by Hargreaves were all created while he was learning his techniques in Spain.
Artwork measurements: 174mm wide x 249mm high
This artwork is UNFRAMED. When we purchased this art, it was in a visually horrendous frame, professionally made but terrible looking and we immediately removed the artwork from the frame and put it away until the day we could have it professionally re-framed, but it never happened!
This piece of art deserves a high quality frame, professionally supplied and fitted by a picture framer.
Artwork is undamaged but oh dear! there are some obvious small yellow/brown spots and these appear to be "foxing"
Foxing is a well known phenomenon with old books and it is characterised by small yellow brown spots or blotches on paper. Two main causes are mould and iron contaminants in the paper. Moulds feed on the paper itself, as well as any dirt or organic material on it, for example, finger marks, food stains and squashed insects!
These spots mostly ONLY occur on the white paper area, not the artwork itself.
The rear of the artwork shows more of these spots and the obvious remnants of the old tape which held the artwork within the original frame border cardboard.
The photograph (front) is a pretty close representation of the colours, depth and contrast - quite a vivid piece of artwork.
Fully insured shipping is no problem, we take great care in packing especially delicate items such as this painting and being unframed, it is much easier and lower cost to ship than if it had the frame supplied.
