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History of the Voortrekker Monumwent Tapestries ART. GENDER IDEOLOGY AND AFRIKANER NATIONALISM: A mSTORY OF THE VQORTREKKERVOORTREKKER MONUMENT TAPESTRIES University of Cape Town Liese van decWattder Watt Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts University of Cape Town January 1996 The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University of Cape Town ABSTRACT This dissertation considers the role both verbal and visual cultureplayed in the growth and articulation of Afrikanernationalism. For thisreasonit focuses notonly on the centraltopic underdiscussion, namely the Voortrekker tapestries, butalsoonthediscourses thatinformed the production of these tapestries and the circumstances surrounding the decision to commission them. The Voortrekker tapestries werecommissioned in 1952 by the Vrou-en Moederbeweging van die A1XV (Suid-Afrikaanse Spoorwee en Hawens) and presented to the Voortrekker Monument in 1960. It wasdecided that the tapestries should depict the GreatTrek of 1838 and, dueto his widely acclaimed statusas anauthorityon visual representations of Afrikaner history and culture, the artist WI! Coetzer was approached to be the designer of the tapestries. But Coelzer's version of the Great Trek of 1838 perpetuates many popular myths about the I I I Afrikanerpast and, in examining this version, I haveidentified certain discourses as being , influential. For example, the role of Gustav Preller in the formation of Coetzer's historical s consciousness; the precedent set by the 1938 centenary celebrations of the Great Trek for later verbal and visual depictions of the Great Trek; the period 1948 to 1952, marked by significant historicaleventssuchas the triumph oftheNationalParty, the inauguration of the Voortrekker Monument and thetercentenary Van Riebeeck celebrations and, finally, therole volksmoeder ideology played in shaping Coetzer's vision of the Great Trek. Drawing on these discourses, I proceed to examine the iconography of the Voortrekker tapestries. A numberofthemes in the tapestries are identified and elucidated with reference to a range of contemporary theoretical writings. Finally, the dissertation moves beyond a consideration of lite iconography of the tapestries, investigating instead the status of needlework. I argue that the gender ideology embedded in the production of the tapestries is parallel1ed in the historically sanctioned separation of 'art' from 'craft'. Iust as 'craft' has been marginalised in relation to 'art', so the Voortrekker tapestries and, with them, the women who made the tapestries, were marginalised in the public spheres which were inhabited and controlled by Afrikaner men. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted, firstly.fIrstly, to Dr Sandra KlopperK10pper for her supervision,supervillion, constructive criticism and enthusiasm for this project which was a source of encouragement throughout. A special word of gratitude to my parents and IJ Theron for their loveandlove and support. The financial support of theCentreforthe Centre for Science Development (HSRC, South Africa) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the Centre for Science Development. The financial support of the University of Cape Town is also gratefully acknowledged. TABLE OF CONTENTS UST OF ILLUSTRATIONS GLOSSARY COLOUR PLATES: The Voortrekker Monument Tapestries, panels 1-15 INTRODUCTION 1 1. DISCOURSES INFORMING COETZER'S VISION OF THE VOORTREKKER TAPESTRIES •......••................. 10 1.1 Gustav Preller's Factual Fictions. ..................... .. 10 1.2 The Centenary Celebrations ...............••.....•.. .. 16 1.2.1 The 1930s - expectations and realities: a brief history 17 1.2.2 1938 - An opportunity for inventing the volk •••.•.••.• .• 22 1.3 Entrenching Apartheid: 1948 - 1952 ..•............•....• 33 1.3.1 1948 - The triumph of apartheid ••.....•••...••.... 34 1.3.2 The inauguration of the Voortrekker Monument: validating Afrikaner power . • . .. 36 1.3.3 The Jan van Riebeeck Festival: consolidating white power ... 41 1.4 The Ideology of the Yolksmoeder .....•••.....••...•..... 45 1.4.1 The origins of the volksmoeder ideal ....••....••.... 46 2. READING THE TAPESTRIES: THE ICONOGRAPHY OF THE VOORTREKKER TAPESTRIES ...............•.........• 57 2.1 Figures of the Frontier: Families, Pioneers and Yolksmoeders ... .. 57 2.1.1 Introducing the family - 'complementary, but not alike' ....• 57 2.1.2 Travelling pioneers ...............••......:... 62 2.1.3 The settling of volksmoeders •.•••••••.•••••••••• •• 70 2.2 Linearity, Expansionism, Progress ..................•.. .. 77 2.3 Savagery and Civilisation ••.••••••.•••••••..•••••••••••..•••••.•••••••..•••••••.• 87 3. BETWEEN ART AND CRAFT: MARGlNALISlNG THE VOORTREKKER TAPESTRIES ....•....•. • . • . .0••••••••••••0••••••••••••• . • . • . •.0" 95 3.1 Art v. Craft .0••••••••••• . .•• . 0. .••••• . .0 . 0 .••••• . .0 .•••••• . .0 •.•• 99 CONCLUSION .••••...••..•..••.....•••............•••.'" 0 ••••••• 0 ••• 0 0 •••••• 0 0 •••••••••••••••• 109 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY ..•............••.......•............••......•.....••...00••••••0••• 112 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONSILLUSTRATIQNS Figures 1-15: The Voortrekker Monument Tapestries (after glossary) Figure16:Figure 16: >,'Making'Making The Vow' (between pages 27 & 28) Figure17:Figure 17: 'The Battle of Blood River, 16 December 1838' (between pages 27 & 28) Figure 18: Voortrekker woman with childrenchHdren (between pages 39 & 40) Figure19:Figore 19: 'The Altar ofoC the Afrikaner' (between pages 39 & 40) Figure20:Figure 20: 'Voortrekkers leaving the Cape Colony,Colony. 1935' (between pages 40 & 41) Figure 21: 'Matabele'.!\;Iatabele attack on the Voortrekkers at Vegkop, 1836' (between pages 40 & 41) Figure 22: 'Crossing the Drakensberg Mountains to Natal' (between pages 40 & 41) Figure 23: The Women's Memorial (between pages 47 & 48) Figure 24: 'Nooientjie van die Onderveld' (between pages 47 & 48) Figure 25: Electorial Poster used by the GNP, 1938 (between pages 52 & 53) Figure26:Figure 26: 'The Comradely Ideal' (between pages 57 & 58) Figure 27, 28: Historic embroidered work, 1915 (between pages 100 & 101) Figure 29, 30, 31: Historic embroidered work, 1919 (between pages 100 & 101) Figure 32: Mr:Mr Tokyo Sexwale in front of a 1938-painting by ,WH .WH Coetzer, 1995 ~. ,. -.:"', . -. (between pages 110 & 111) Figure 33: Bitterkomix, 1995 (between pages 110 & 111) GWSSARY·GWSSARY AB Afrikaanse Broederbond (Afrikaans Brotherhood) ATKV(SAS&H).ATKV(SAS&H), Afrikaanse Taal- en Kultuurvereniging van die Spoorwee en HawensHaweru (Afrikaans Language and Cultural Movement of the Railways and Harbours) AWBA WB Afrikaanse Weersumdsbeweging (Afrikaans Resistance Movement) FAK EederasieFederasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge (Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Movements) GNP Gesuiwerde Nasionale Party; 1934-1939 (purified National Party) GWU Garment Work='Workers' Union HNP HerenfgdeHeremgde NasionaleNasionaIe Party; 1939-1948 (Reformed National Party) NGK Nederduitse GereformeerdeGerefonneerde Kerk (Dutch RefonnedReformed Church) SAVFSAV!<' Suid-Afrikaanse YrouefederasieVrouefederasie (South African Women's Federation) SA VLU Suid-AfrikaanseSuld-Afrikaanse Vroue Landbou-unie (South African Women's Agriculture Union) SNMK Sentrale Nasionale MOlll/ffleTlleMonumenie KomiieeKomilee (Central National Monuments Committee) SVK SemroleSentrale Volkskomitee (Central VolkYolk Committee) VMBVMS Vrou-en MoederbewegingMoederbewegtng (Women and Mother's Movement) UP UnitedUnitedParty Party COLOUR PLATES THE VOORTREKKER MO!l.'UMENTMONUMENT TAPESTRIES Figure 1: Panel 1.1, The BirthdBirthdavav JW Prinssloo,ioo, WH Coe Coetzertzer DieDie \'crjaa~dagverjaa rsdaq T h,' birthday Figure 2: PPaneanel 2.2, TheThe ExoExodusdus JW PrinsPrinslioo, WH Coetzer DDieie uitlof5uittcg The exodu;,e xodus Figure 3: PanelPan el 3.3. Across thethe Orange RiverRiver JW PrinPrinssloo,loo, WH Coetzer UorUor die Grootrj\-icrGroou-ivier \eros.> the Oran~.· J{j\tT FigureFigure 4: PanPane ell 4. Vegkop Vegkop MS Pienaar, WH Coetze Coetzerr \-Cl1;kopVcgkop FiguFigurere 5: PanelPanelS. S. The OutOutspanspan at Thaba NNchuchu H RossouwRossouw, WH CCoetzeroetzer CilspannL"ilspannm~;n1; b\·b:. ThanaThaba XchuXchu ThThe-e- OULSpanoutspa n at ThThabaaba :\"chu Xchu FigureFigure 6: PanelPanel 6.6. A FuneralFuneral in the Veld N KKruger,ruger, WH Coetzer BegrafnisBegrafni5 iinn die \1;:10\ dt.l .-\ nmeral in !ht' ,..dd Figure 7:7: Panel 77.,R Repairingepairing WagWagonon WhWheelseels JJFF CCoetzeroetzer,, WH CCoelZeroetzer IIt"j'lei vuu \\'-I\,iek FigureFigure 99:: Panelanel 9. H appv ProspectProspect IF CoetzerCoetzer,, WH CoeCoetzertzer Figure 8: Panelel 8. Across the DrakensbergDrakensberg HJ Combrinck,Combrinck, WH CoetzerCoetzer Figure 110:0: PanelPanel 10,10, ReliRelief'sefs Depeparturearture MEMB de Wet,Wet, WH CoetCoetzerzer Rl"ll1'l', tkp,lIll1l ( ' FigureFi gure 11: PanelPanel II , The MassacMa s.~a crere alal BIQukrdnSBloukra ns AWA W SSteyn.tcyn, WH CoetzeCoetzerr RI,RIIIImkI L.l.llhll1(.ordLl1hl111" ud Tllilt,lt·mIJI, .....I",'>.llIC.It ..,a,cH ,II BiouL.lan,B!ouLI.lll' Figure 12: Panel 12. 12, The StormStonn AW SteynSteyn, WH Co Coetzerelzer DieDit:: ;::.H)nnstorm I he Horm
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