Gerard Sekoto (South African, 1913-1993)Portrait of a lady wearing a beret
signed 'G Sekoto' (lower right)
oil on board
26 x 21cm (10 1/4 x 8 1/4in).注脚Provenance
A private collection, UK.

In 1945, Sekoto moved to Eastwood, Pretoria to live with his mother and stepfather, Paulus Jiyane. This portrait was painted by Gerard Sekoto shortly after and is very similar to portraits depicting the artist's sister-in-law, Mary Dikeledi, who had married his brother Bernard earlier that year.

The sitter appears to be reluctant to meet our gaze – simultaneously shy and stubborn. This is consistent with the artist's description of his sister-in-law as a "tough character": "we got on well and...I could moderate her into a mild mood, even of gaiety, whenever she was in a contradictory state". The artist has produced here a most intimate and revealing character study.