Adolph Stephan Friedrich Jentsch (German, 1888-1977)


Farm Okapinje initialed and dated 'A.J./ 1940' (lower right); signed, dated and titled (to stretcher verso)oil on canvas70 x 100cm (27 9/16 x 39 3/8in).
|ProvenancePurchased by a private collector in Johannesburg, circa 1970.Born in Dresden in 1888, Jentsch was the son of two educated and enthusiastic art patrons. He was encouraged to pursue his artistic inclinations from an early age, enrolling at the prestigious Staatsakademie für Bildende Kunste. Here, Jentsch became acquainted with a number of artists who would later be recognised as the pioneers of German Expressionism, including George Grosz and Max Pechstein. These artists sought to communicate the emotional experience of human existence rather than the physical reality. Intuition and subjective vision were their key tenets, and Jentsch absorbed this attitude. In a later interview, he described his art thus:"My painting is pure intuition concerning the essence of life. In the arts all the spiritually vital experiences are gained intuitively. My experience of the landscape is shown in the spiritual vision which I put into my painting - arising from my inner self" (Levinson, 1973, p.24) Germany was thrown into political and economic crisis after WWI. Increasing support for right wing parties, and the eventual appointment of Hitler as Chancellor in 1933, made the country a dangerous place for experimental artists keen to challenge the status quo. When a number of Jentsch's peers were castigated as 'degenerates' and had their works removed from museums and galleries in 1938, the artist decided to emigrate. He went to visit his cousin in South West Africa (Namibia).On arriving at his cousin's farm Kleepforte, Jentsch was immediately struck by the vast expanse of land. The unspoiled terrain was markedly different to anything he had experienced in urban Dresden. Lacking clearly defined seasons, this environment seemed peaceful and tranquil, far removed from the political chaos of Europe:"The sun shines through spring, summer, autumn and winter. The slow, dreamlike rhythm of the barren earth induces a feeling of timelessness, of eternity."Jentsch was inspired by the climate and painted prolifically. The landscapes that he executed in the late 1930s and early 40s communicate this feeling of timelessness. Bereft of figures and architectural features, the scene relies on textural differences to convey depth and perspective.The bleached colour palette communicates the dry heat of the region. The dusty, arid plain segues into a hazy sky. The limited range of colours has a unifying effect, and lends the scene a quiet harmony. This sense of balance and order is emphasized by the centrally positioned horizon line.Jentsch held his first solo exhibition in 1938. It was a critical success; a reviewer commented that the artist had captured "the essential aspects of our landscape". Following the show, the artist travelled around the southern parts of South West Africa, staying at different farms. It was on one of these visits that he painted the current lot.BibliographyS.M. Treger, A communication study of the recipient's role in art with reference to the paintings of Adolph Jentsch, (Pretoria, 1985), pp.60-65.O. Levinson, Adolph Jentsch, (Cape Town, 1973), pp.34-36.