Strauss & co - 20 May 2019, Johannesburg

202 308 Wilhelm Kuhnert GERMAN 1865-1926 Trek through the Namib Desert signed oil on canvas 49 by 99 cm R700 000 – 1 000 000 LITERATURE cf. Wilhelm Haacke and Wilhelm Kuhnert (1901) Das Thierleben der Erde (Animal Life on Earth), Berlin: M. Oldenbourg. cf. Max Eschner (1902) Deutschlands Kolonien , Leipzig: FE Wachsmuth. Wilhelm Kuhnert blurred the boundaries between art and science. A renowned animal painter, he researched obsessively in his quest to depict his subjects with anatomical accuracy, in appropriate natural habitats. Kuhnert travelled extensively, undertaking three expeditions to Africa, in 1891–2, 1905 and 1911. The Transvaal Exhibition in Berlin in 1897 was most likely the impetus for the painting of this work, which Kuhnert authority Dr Angelika Grettmann- Werner dates to c.1896–1898, based on its style and signature. The theme of the painting is probably the Dorsland Trek. Seeking political independence and better living conditions, groups of trek boere migrated from South Africa to Namibia and Angola, beginning in 1874 and continuing into the early twentieth century. The conditions on these treks were extremely harsh and almost 3000 people are believed to have died along the way. The location depicted is thought to be Damaraland, approximately 400 km south of the Angolan border (not far from the coast), with the Brandberg in the distance. The clothing of the ‘touleiers’ is typical of the Nama people and the oxen belong to the Sanga species found in Botswana and Namibia. Kuhnert manages to capture the spirit of the Namib Desert masterfully, using an impressionistic sky to create the kinetic effect of a heat haze. By skilfully cropping the front welwitschia, he underlines the expansiveness of the landscape, which literally continues beyond the edges of the painting. His rendering of the horse attests to his skill as an animal painter par excellence. Wilhelm Kuhnert’s works are represented in numerous international private and public collections and a major retrospective exhibition was held at the Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, from October 2018 to January 2019. The present Lot is a significant discovery, as southern African scenes by Kuhnert are extremely rare. Early depictions of The Dorsland Trek and the flora of the Namib Desert are equally rare, making this painting an important cultural historical document. With thanks to Dr Angelika Grettmann-Werner for confirming the authenticity of this work. It will be included in her forthcoming catalogue raisonné on the artist as WV No. 6499.