Cecil Skotness 'Silent Moment' Signed Lithograph / South African Artist (LOC: FFD 1)

Cecil Skotness Signed Lithograph / South African Artist (LOC: FFD 1)
Signed Lower Right Corner / Lower Left Reads 84/100
Listed Artist
Size 32 x 37
Condition - Print Good - Original frame + matting with light wear -
slight loose area on bottom backing - easy to art tape down
Evocative image by an interesting artist
ABOUT CECIL SKOTNESS 1926–2009
Cecil Skotnes was a white South African artist best known for his neo-Primitivist painted woodcut reliefs and prints. Throughout his oeuvre, Skotnes was noted for seamlessly merging elements of Western art with elements of traditional African culture, history, and folklore. He cited the works of both Sydney Kumalo and Paul Gauguin—who also had an interest in non-Western art—as sources of inspiration, noting that in his own work “being a woodcutter by virtue of the grain of wood and technique, you tend to get a sort of Cubist quality. And that of course is very tribal,” he explained. Born on June 1, 1926 in East London, South Africa, he grew up in Johannesburg and went on to study in Florence, Italy where he was profoundly inspired by the work of early Renaissance painters like Giotto and Masaccio. Upon returning to South Africa, Skotnes merged the lessons of Western European art with the culture and history of the country, including stories surrounding the figure of the pre-Colonial Zulu king Shaka. One of his major works, The assassination of Shaka (1973) consists of 43 separate woodcuts to tell the story in visual format. He dedicated much of his career to supporting the work of black South African artists, championing them financially and critically. Today, Skotnes’ work is in the collection of the South African National Gallery in Cape Town. He died on April 4, 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Very Good

18%

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Private Residence

Fairfield, CT 06824

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Saturday, 5/22, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

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