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Willem Hermanus Coetzer (1900-1983)
Coetzer, Willem Hermanus (South African 1900 - 1983)
Temporary house of Baragwanath, New Leydsdorp Nothern Transvaal
Oil on board, signed, 1943, titled on reverse and provenance Dennis Hotz Gallery on reverse
27 x 57cm
WH Coetzer, as the artist was most commonly referred to, produced impressionist style paintings of the
South African landscape. His primary interest was the history and spirit of Afrikanerdom and in addition
to doing extensive research into Afrikaans culture and collecting Africana, Coetzer also travelled the
Voortrekker routes through the country by foot. Many of his paintings are in fact recreations of Voortrekker
scenes and stories and he became an expert on the costumes and equipment of the period. In 1938,
Coetzer designed the Great Trek Commemorative Postage Stamps. In this painting, Coetzer refers to
the Baragwanath family, who arrived in 1850 in Port Natal on the immigration ship Lady Bruce. South
African art historian, Esmé Berman interestingly notes that Coetzer's landscape paintings were the most
closely matched to his own temperament, associating his images of the mountainous countryside with
a grand concept, a historical saga and a sense of majestic drama (1983:103). This painting typifies
Berman's suggestion: the landscape is a theatrical meeting of mountains, sea and sky, which sets a kind
of stage around the small 'temporary' house and its residents.
