​Contemporary South African Art

Born in Cape Town, South Africa 1900 - 1983

 

Art Education 

• In 1925 galleries and museums in London 

• 1928 - 1939 Regent Street Polytechnic, London. Toured European museums 

• 1934 Central School of Art, London

 

Biography 

• Willem Coetzer Lived in Johannesburg since he WAS two years    old. His father died When he was very young.

• 1912 Willem Coetzer Began to Contribute to family income by    making sketches, All which His Mother colored. 

• 1917 Willem Coetzer WAS trained as a coach-builder at Johannesburg Trade School; Continued in this trade for eight  years; Studied painting by correspondence with Press Art School  'London. 

• 1925 Willem Coetzer Went to London to study art purpose Lacking  Sufficient money to enter an art school, he trudged around the  museums making pencil copies of famous compositions. Returned  to South Africa, painted in His spare time. 

• 1928 Assisted by Alfred Palmer, Ernest Lezard and Edward Roworth, Willem Coetzer Held an exhibition in Johannesburg on all which he sold enough work to AFFORD to return to London. 

• 1928 - 1930 Through Palmer's influences He Was Admitted to Regent Street Polytechnic, Where He won a prize for His painting 'The Dusty Shelf, now in the Johannesburg Art Gallery. Traveled around Europe on a bicycle, covering 3,000 miles at a total  expenditure of R18. 

• 1930 Willem Coetzer returned 'to South Africa Where He Began to enjoy year Afrikaner following. 

• 1934 DESPITE His English education, he Became very conscious of His Afrikaans heritage and resolved to portray the history and spirit of Afrikanerdom In His Art. He therefore returned 'to Europe and Spent nine months studying figure-drawing and painting. He   Began collecting Africana and Conducting research Into the history  and life of the Voortrekker period; he visited people and places  connected with this history; Became year expert on costumes and  equipment of the period. 

• 1938 Willem Coetzer designed the Great Trek Commemorative Postage Stamps. 

• 1947 He published 'My Kwas Vertel' - a book of His sketches and designs Relating to South African historical subjects. 

• 1948 Co Founder with WE Gladstone Solomon of Brush and Chisel  Club; Friezes designed the marble and tapestries for the Voortrekker Monument National, Pretoria. 

• 1965 Willem Coetzer WAS Awarded a Special Gold Medal by the South African Academy in recognition of His historical work. 

• 1969 Presented His full implementation of 800 etchings to the City of Johannesburg. Long-time member of Africana Museum Advisory Committee. Paintings Reproduced by E Schweikerdt (Pty) Ltd, Pretoria. 

• 1980 Widespread birthday tribute On His 80th; His published autobiography, 'WH Coetzer 80.

 

Art Exhibitions 
- 1928 First Art Exhibition at Lezard's Johannesburg. (Pastels 40 of  34 Were All which sold for a total sum of R400).Numerous  exhibitions in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and  Stellenbosch. 
- 1948 Overseas Exhibition of South African Art, Tate Gallery,  London, et al. 
- 1952 Van Riebeeck Tercent Art Exhibition, Cape Town. 
- 1970 Retrospective Exhibition of historical paintings, RAU. 
- 1971 'Johannesburg Artists', Johannesburg Art Gallery, Diamond  Jubilee Exhibition. 
- 1972 Exhibition of etching work, Johannesburg Public Library. 
- 1974 Retrospective Art Exhibition of still-life paintings,  Johannesburg.

 

Commissions 

• 1938 Great Trek Commemorative Postage Stamps. 

• 1948 Design of marble and tapestries Friezes, Voortrekker Monument, Pretoria. 

• 1963 Historical wall, Transvaal Province Admin Buildings, Pretoria. 

• Portraits: The Hon JG Strijdom ia, Dr DF Malan, General JBM Hertzog, Referent JD Kestell, Jan Celliers 'Totius' Dr Robert Broom.

• Public Art Collections 

• South African National Art Gallery, Cape Town; Johannesburg Art Gallery; Pretoria Art Museum; Durban Art Gallery;Ann Bryant Art Gallery, East London; AC White Art Gallery, Bloemfontein; Bloemfontein War Museum; Africana Museum, Johannesburg; Hester Rupert Art Museum, GR; Rembrandt Art Foundation; Pietersburg Collection; Queen Elizabeth II, United Kingdom.

Reference

• Berman, E. 1994 Art & Artists of South Africa. Southern Book Publishers