Prints and Drawings

All drawing media, except silver-point, are represented and all types of print media are covered in its holdings. The early historical prints include examples by Martin Schongauer, Michael Wohlgemnut and Albrecht Dürer. All the major South African printmakers are well represented. There are particularly strong collections of prints by Jacob Pierneef, Cecil Skotnes and of artists who trained at Rorke’s Drift like Azaria Mbatha, Eric Mbatha, John Muafangejo and Cyprian Shilakoe. Contemporary printmakers like Peter Clarke, William Kentridge, Andrew Verster and Diane Victor are well represented.  The collection is not strong in 19th century South African prints and drawings, although there are very good examples of works by Thomas Bowler, Abraham de Smidt and Heinrich Wilhelm Hermann. Cartoonists and artists who specialised in caricatures from D C Boonzaier and Wim Muller through to William Papas, David Marais, John H Jackson, Derek Bauer and Jonathan Shapiro extend the breadth and scope of the collection. In 2000 the National Gallery was fortunate enough to receive a donation from the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology of over 2500 items from the estate of Gerard Sekoto. This donation has augmented significantly the collection of South African drawings which includes, amongst many others, examples of major drawings by Dumile Feni, Gladys Mgudlandlu, Billy Mandindi, Leonard Matsoso, Helen Sebidi and Karel Nel.