HENNIE POTGIETER
1916 - 1992
Sculptures
Hendrik Christoffel Potgieter in the 1960s
Brief C.V.
Born 1st November, 1916 on the farm “Morgenzon”, Paul Roux (Senekal District), OFS, South Africa. Was awarded a scholarship to study at Witwatersrand Technical College (School of Arts & Crafts) Johannesburg from 1936 to 1941 (under James Gardner and Eric Byrd). Married to Bettie, had two daughters, Kitt and Olga. Died on 28th July, 1992, in Schoemansville, of heart failure.
Hennie Potgieter at his studio in Schoemansville 1965, with wife Bettie and visiting artist Elizabeth Benson Macadam - click on image for better view!
In December 1947 Hennie Potgieter, accompanied by his wife Bettie, and Laurika Postma travelled to Italy to supervise the quarrying of marble for the Voortrekker Monument commission in Pretoria.
In 1987 Hennie Potgieter received a Medal from “Die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns“ (kultuurhistoriese beeldhoukuns).
Solo Exhibitions
Gallery 101, Johannesburg - 3rd June, 1963 - opened by Mr Gideon Roos
Exhibited also in Johannesburg 1945, in Pretoria 1955, at Phalaborwa 1956, in Heidelberg 1964.
Selected Group Exhibitions
1952 Van Riebeeck Festival Exhibition
1953 Rhodes Centenary Exhibition, Bulawayo
1966 Republic Festival Art Exhibition (SA Association of Arts, Pretoria) (May)
1967 Adler Fielding Galleries, Johannesburg (“Sculpture · SA 1900 – 1967”) (12th September, 1967)
1980 University of Pretoria, Pretoria (Beeldhou 80 UP) (6th to 27th June)
Selected works illustrated, sold on auction
Stephan Welz, Johannesburg – 20th/21st April, 2009 – Lot 146 - "Mabalel" bronze 5/10
"Mabalel" bronze 5/10 91cm incl. base
Bonhams Knightsbridge – SA sale 17157 - 17th February, 2009 – Lot 17 - "Nude stretching arm", 1977 bronze 2/2
"Nude stretching arm", 1977 - bronze 2/2
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 15th February, 2010 - Lot 501 - "Chameleon", 1957 - carved green verdite - 9cm long
"Chameleon", 1957 - carved green verdite - 9cm long
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 20th July, 2009 - Lot 755 - "Female torso", 1981 - wood - 23.5 cm high
"Female torso", 1981 - wood - 23.5 cm high
Other works sold on auction
Welz / Sotheby's, Johannesburg - 15th November, 2004 - Lot 621
Welz / Sotheby's, Johannesburg - 19th April, 2005 - Lot 241
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 4th February, 2008 - Lot 504
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 9th February, 2009 - Lot 425
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 25th October, 2010 - Lot 606
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 19th September, 2011 - Lot 627
"Ndebele woman", 1967 - bronze - 24.5cm H excluding stinkwood base - Bernardi Auctioneers 19th September, 2011 - Lot 627
Strauss & Co., Johannesburg - 7th November, 2011 - Lot 220, 221
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 27th February, 2012 - Lot 589
Strauss & Co., Johannesburg - 11th June, 2012 - Lot 290
"Female torso", 1963 - bronze (ed. unknown) - 44cm H excluding marble base - auctioned Strauss & Co. 11th June, 2012 - Lot 290
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 3rd June, 2013 - Lot 450
"Nude dancer", 1969 - bronze - ed. 2/6 - 36cm H excluding marble plinth - auctioned by Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 3rd June, 2013 - Lot 450
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 13th July, 2013 - Lot 299
"Reclining Nude", 1971 - bronze - ed. 2/6 - 43cm L - auctioned by Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 13th July, 2013 - Lot 299
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 13th July, 2013 - Lot 300
Strauss & Co., Johannesburg - 11th November, 2013 - Lot 65
"Mabalel", 1973 - bronze with verdigris patina - 165cm H
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 28th July, 2014 - Lot 752
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 26th October, 2015 - Lots 99, 100
Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 16th March, 2016 - Lot 164
"Op die pad van Suid-Afrika 1838-1938" - bronze and lead-cast relief plaque - - click on image for better view!
Old Johannesburg Warehouse Auctioneers, Johannesburg - 25th June, 2016 - Lot A041
"Paul Kruger", 1936 - carved and incised green marble from Querceta / Forte dei Marmi - 20cm H - signed
Old Johannesburg Warehouse Auctioneers, Johannesburg - 27th August, 2016 - Lot A032
"Bust of a nude woman", 1971 - bronze ed. 6/10 - 20cm H - Lot A032
Other selected works
"Andromeda" in stone pre-1967, life-size - click on image for better view!
"Klipspringer" in bronze, life-size - Coll. Pretoria Zoo - click on image for better view!
"Pelicans" - bronze group - Johannesburg
Listed in / works illustrated in
"Art in South Africa since 1900” (F.L. Alexander) (Balkema), 1962, p. 167
“South African Artists 1900-1962” (Harold Jeppe) (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel), 1963, p.134
"South African Panorama", Pretoria (March 1966), ill.
1966 Republic Festival Art Exhibition (SA Association of Arts, Pretoria) (May), cat. 220+221
“Sculpture · SA 1900 - 1967” (Adler Fielding Galleries, Johannesburg), 1967, cat. 81 (ill.), 82, 83 - "Tokoloshe" (wonder stone), "Nude" (marble), "Fountain" (bronze)
“South African Art” (James Ambrose Brown) (MacDonald Heritage), 1978, pp. 16, 17 (ill.), 36, 42
“Beeldhou 80 UP” University of Pretoria, Pretoria (6th to 27th June 1980), cat. 20
“Art & Artists of South Africa” (Berman) (Balkema), 1983, pp. 408 ill., 514, 515, 516, 526
“Looking at South African Art” (Harmsen) (van Schaik), 1985, p. 131
„The Dictionary of South African Painters and Sculptors including Namibia“ (Ogilvie / Graff) (Everard Read), 1988 – ISBN 0 620 12663 9 – listed on p. 530
„Images of Wood“ (Rankin) (Johannesburg Art Gallery), 1989, pp. 25, 29, 59
Sculptural work includes
Bellville – Bronze of “Karl Bremer”
Brits - “Andromeda”
Cape Town - Loretta Convent, Sea Point - “Madonna” (7’ high)
Lichtenburg - Bronze of “Gen. de la Rey”
Pretoria - Voortrekker Monument, Pretoria – the historic panels on the eastern wall of the monument and the Buffalo Head at the entrance to the Monument
Pretoria - Provincial Administration Building - “Getemde Vryheid” / “Liberty curbed” (3m high bronze)
Pretoria - Pretoria Normal College (“Lente”)
Pretoria – Census Building (panel in red granite)
Pretoria – Dutch Reformed Church Hall (panel)
Upington - “Donkey”
Vanderbijlpark – a twice life size bronze
Windhoek – Bronze of “Kurt von François”
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Hennie Potgieter had his larger bronzes cast at the Hendrik Joubert Foundry in Schoemansville
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In the late 1960s, Hennie Potgieter generously made his studio facilities available to Lucas Sithole!
Lucas Sithole was commissioned in the late 60s by Union Corporation Ltd., Johannesburg, through Mrs Anderson, the wife of the then Chairman, based on a maquette Lucas had made for Lady Ina Oppenheimer's farm of Brahmans at Hekpoort, to make the huge bronze sculpture which is linked on LS7101. As Lucas did not have the necessary studio facilities at Springs, Hennie Potgieter generously made his fully equipped studio facilities at Schoemansville over a period of many months available, at no cost. Lucas completed the full-sized plaster of Paris there. Hennie Potgieter showed Lucas Sithole how to first build a wire structure, and then to apply Plaster of Paris. It had then to be transported to the foundry of Hendrik Joubert where one unique bronze cast was made.
Hennie Potgieter discussing a work by Lucas SITHOLE at Gallery 101, Johannesburg, on 5th October, 1970, with Bertie du Plooy, gallery custodian - see Youtube upload link for more details of the opening.
Updated 30th August, 2016