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African Original Oil/Watercolour HARGREAVES NTUKWANA Abstract Scene #1

H. Ntukwana

$120.00
SKU:
CHKGUM7594
Condition:
Used
Minimum Purchase:
1 unit
Maximum Purchase:
1 unit
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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 the art techniques show no signs of being affected by the artist's physical limitations. He died in 1998.

 

Hargreaves Ntukwana

South Africa

Diluted Oil/watercolour on paper

THE TITLE IS UNKNOWN SO WE HAVE CALLED IT ABSTRACT SCENE #1

Figure appears to be sitting, looking upwards at an unknown box like object. To the right is obviously a home with a circle above it (the sun?) and 4 vertical, non-uniform lines. I have looked and looked but cannot for the life of me figure out what the picture is saying to me (this is why we like landscapes, they are much easier to interpret!) I am sure Hargreaves has a message here, but I am not receiving it!

Of course I have hunted online, actually for ALL FOUR artworks that we have and I can find no images or mention of these paintings at all - a mystery of our time!

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 a couple of obvious small yellow/brown spots  or "lines" which 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 marks occur mostly ONLY on the white paper area, not the artwork itself.

 

But that is not all! If you look very closely near the circle above the house, you can read the word COTTON that is imprinted on the rear of the paper. It appears as though the diluted oils technique being studied and practised by Hargreaves has allowed part of the watermark to show through to the front of the artwork, you can see the letters (although fairly faint) right next to that circle.

 

You can't get much more authentic than that!

 

The rear of the artwork shows more of these spots and there is a "water mark" pressed (not printed) in the paper - it reads as a MIRROR IMAGE (hold it to a mirror to read it "right way up")

50% COTTON

I have undertaken some watermark research and also compared with other watermarks on the other artworks I am advertising from Hargreaves and I actually believe this art paper is likely to be:

A5 FABRIANO (a very well known high quality art paper from Italy favoured by artists, particularly those working with watercolour)

I believe this imprint is part of the complete code for the paper stock used (A5 FABRIANO 50% COTTON)

 

Also on the rear is the obvious remnants of the old tape which held the artwork within the original frame border cardboard.

 

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.

Condition exactly as described Non-returnable used product