DEKAT DIGITAL 2019 - 2020

A glorious tribute to
South AfricAn impressionists
Nothing quite prepares the first-time visitor for the quiet
magnificence of The South African Impressionists Museum
in the Francolin Museum complex.
Situated in the tranquil surroundings of the Francolin Conservancy, which houses The Orient Private Hotel and the
internationally acclaimed Restaurant Mosaic, on arrival you may be forgiven for thinking you are visiting a smallish
gallery with some attractive artwork.
In reality what you are presented with is something magical. Think of the Frick Collection located in Henry Clay
Frick House on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York, which exhibits the substantial and world-famous
private collection belonging to the industrialist, Henry Clay Frick.
The team behind the Francolin Museum gallery is renowned for creating extraordinary places and spaces, and the
sheer beauty and scale of this sanctuary for the arts is remarkable. Home to the world’s largest collection of works
by some of South Africa’s pre-eminent Impressionists, this paean to self-taught artists like Adriaan Boshoff, Alexander
Rose-Innes and their peers, was years in the planning.
Restaurant Mosaic and The Orient had one of the largest privately held South African Impressionist art collections,
displayed through their public spaces – a collection that is continuously expanding.
In 2007 The Orient opened a museum for sculptor Tienie Pritchard’s work and it now has the largest collection of his
art in the world, including the three majestic bronzes from South Africa’s indigenous heritage: The African Queen
Manthatisi, Ndlovunkulu, Shaka, King of the Zulus and Modjadji, Rain Queen of the Balobedu people.
The Orient’s team – including Mari Dartnall, custodian of the museums that are spread throughout
the property – travelled to a number of international museums and galleries to study the method and
techniques of art curation and display. They soon realised how visually saturating it can be to view
hundreds of images within a certain timeframe. This made them realise the importance of holding the
viewer’s attention by introducing unexpected shifts between image content and subject.
Large photographs of the artists are displayed at the entrance to each wing of the museum bearing
their name. The photos are accompanied by short introductory notes on their lives and artistic
careers, captivating the visitor and drawing them into the private lives of the artists, and transforming
the visit into a much more personal experience.
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