BERTHA EVERARD VOLUME 1 Louisa Eriksen-Miller Submitted
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LANDSCAPE AS METAPHOR: THE INTERPRETATION OF SELECTED PAINTINGS BY (AMY) BERTHA EVERARD VOLUME 1 Louisa Eriksen-Miller Submitted in partial fulfilment ofthe requirements for the degree ofMaster ofArts University ofNatal, Pietermaritzburg January 2002 ABSTRACT This dissertation is a study ofselected works ofthe South African landscape painter Amy Bertha Everard (l 873-1965) with the emphasis on discovering relevant means of interpreting her use oflandscape as metaphor. In Chapter One Bertha 's family history and background is traced. This includes developments in her work from the earliest known sketches and paintings, her travels, experiences and artistic training. Chapter Two examines Bertha 's relationships with family and friends, with a section at the end that discusses the candidate 's interpretation ofsome ofthe letters that have been made available for this research by the Tatham Art Gallery. This is in order to establish some character traits that may be relevant to the subsequent interpretation of landscape as metaphor in the final chapter. Chapter Three discusses selected paintings with reference to the analysis oftheir subject matter, composition and technique. Criticism ofselected work is made with some reference to Frieda Harmsen 's observations in The Women ofBonnefoi (1980), while some references are made to what appears to be previously undocumented works, discovered during this research. Exhibitions and reception ofmuch ofBertha's work is also covered in this chapter. This is done in order to trace the development of her work within the context ofher life experience with regard to her travels and relationships. Chapter Four examines the influences offaith and religion on her life and possibly her art. As a self-appointed Anglican missionary and teacher to labourers on her farms, a great deal oftime and energy was spent in this practice. Reference is made to some prevailing religious and social ideologies in southern Africa that may have influenced her activities or that may have been motivating factors in her desire to participate in this field. Chapter Five discusses some ofthe possible discourses that may have affected Bertha's perception ofart and her decision to pursue this as a career. In the absence ofmuch factual knowledge about the early period ofher life in England, it is acknowledged that this interpretation is speculative. A survey ofart practices and art institutions in Victorian England is made in an attempt to establish the prevailing conditions in the art world during her youth. Some reference is made to conditions in South Africa that may have influenced Bertha 's perception ofart and her decision to pursue this as a career. Chapter Six discusses, in greater detail, aspects ofthe South African context in which Bertha Everard lived for the greater part ofher adult life. A survey is made ofthe establishment and development ofsome early art institutions and the people who constituted the art world at that time in South Africa This is in order to discover possible influences on her work and its reception as well as the socio-political and historical context that may have affected her life. As a counterpoint, the work ofthree ofBertha's contemporary female South African artists - Allerly Glossop, Maggie Laubser and Irma Stem - is discussed. Chapter Seven discusses possible interpretations oflandscape as metaphor related to specific paintings. In this chapter, nationalistic and imperialistic ideologies in South Africa are discussed, comparing Bertha's painting with that of1. R Pierneef, and some possible interpretations oftheir use oflandscape as metaphor. Appendix I comprises two sections. The Summary ofLetters is an overview ofthe letters that were studied for the purpose ofthis research. Their contents have been divided into sub-headings , related to areas ofinterest to this research, namely: Bertha's relationship with Edith, Charles, her children and motherhood, relationships (in general) and issues ofgender, politics and racism , mission work and faith, landscape and weather, illness, exhibitions and criticism, work and painting. The Everard Letters gives selected quotations from the letters researched, under the same sub-headings. Appendix 2 records an interview with Leonora Everard Haden, by the candidate, in which Everard Haden's written responses are recorded. II Volume 2 contains illustrations ofmost ofBertha's work that are referred to in the dissertation. III DECLARATJON I declare that this dissertation, unless indicated to the contrary in the text, is my own work. This thesis is being submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree ofMasters in Fine Arts in the University ofNatal , Pietermaritzburg. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination in any other university. As the candidate's supervisor, I have approved this dissertation for submission. Signed: ---y-_~..---- Date: IV ABBREVIATIONS These abbreviations are primarily found in Volume 2. ? = possible aka = also known as A Leigh = Alana Leigh B Haden, G's Bay = Bryan Haden, Gordon 's Bay BE = Bertha Everard BK = Bertha King Bloem = Bloemfontein Bury = Catherine Bury c. = CIrca cm = centimetre CT = Cape Town DAG = Durban Art Gallery Fam.coll = family collection JHB = Johannesburg LEH = Leonora Everard Haden N Leigh = Nichola Leigh nd = not dated pers com LEH 200 I = interview with LEH PMB = Pietermaritzburg Private coll = private collection R = Ruth Everard SA House = South Africa House, London SANG = South African National Gallery, Cape Town SKE Plett = Sebastian K Everard, Plettenberg Bay Std Bank Corp = Standard Bank Corporation TAG = Tatham Art Gallery, Pietermaritzburg Univ ofPretoria = University ofPretoria v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank: My supervisor, Professor T. King, for his guidance, Brendan Bell and Kobie Venter at the Tatham Art Gallery for kind assistance and for allowing unlimited access to the relevant records and documents at the gallery, Leonora Everard Haden and Nichola Leigh for the generous amount oftime and information given to me in the process ofthis research. The National Research Foundation for financial assistance, Fiona Crooks for editing, My mother and brother for their unstinting support and financial assistance that enabled the completion ofthis thesis, The many friends whose encouragement is valued, especially Heather Conyngham, Patrick Doherty, Vera Gradinski, Dain Peters and Amanda Smith. David Wilkinson, headmaster at St Anne's Diocesan College who, by extending the invitation to me to be artist in residence, contributed significantly to this research in providing a pleasant working environment. I would like to dedicate this research to my daughter Vanessa Sarah Inggs, whose motivating influence and love has been ofthe greatest value. VI CONTENTS Abstract. p: i Declaration p: iv Abbre viations , p: v Acknowledgements p: vi Contents p: vii Notes on the text. p: ix Introduction p: I Chapter 1. Amy Bertha Everard: her life and work p: 3 Chapter 2. Relationships: family, marriage, children, friends and letters p: 28 Chapter 3. Selected works: Analysis, criticism and exhibitions p: 44 Chapter 4. Faith and religion : Motivation or hindrance? Bertha's role as missionary and teacher p: 92 Chapter 5. Evaluating the influences ofsome discourses in Victorian England on the early South African Art Societies p: III Chapter 6. The South African context: the political landscape... ... ... ... p: ]50 Chapter 7. Landscape as metaphor: selected works p: ]78 Conclusion p: 203 Select Bibliography p: 207 Appendix] : Letters p: 210 VII a: Summary ofletters p: 211 b: Extracts from the Everard Letters at the Tatham Art Gallery p: 224 Appendix 2: Interview p: 254 Volume 2: Illustrations p: 1- 67 VIII NOTES ON THE TEXT 1) Text enclosed in square brackets is my own interpretation ofdata 2) All measurements are in metric form 3) The titles are usually treated as grammatical sentences, using capitals only for the first word unless necessitated by nouns, unless quoted from a source where capitals are used throughout. 4) The plates are illustrated in a separate volume and are in chronological order where possible, where no dates are given. IX INTRODUCTION This dissertation on a selection ofBertha Everard's paintings seeks to discover more about what constitutes the subject ofthis research and what it was about landscape painting that so inspired her. What was intriguing was the sense ofspace and underlying melancholy that appears to pervade her work. An extraordinary variety oftechniques were employed to create some such remarkably modem looking paintings during a time when Victorian narrative and academic approaches to landscape were pervasive. Although, in general, a clear progression or development in style in an artist's work might be expected, Bertha's work does not appear to comply with such notions. During the course ofthis research it became clear that Bertha's work had been subject to various powerful discourses that were not always conducive to the continued pursuit of painting. Despite the political nature ofthe art world as it was then, the obstacles placed in her path by what may be considered to be gendered discrimination as well as the sometimes tragic events ofher life, Bertha managed to create some remarkable and expressive works. Historians have attributed Bertha's increasingly expressive style to her influence by the French avant-garde artists with whom she came in contact during her stay in Paris in 1925 (Harmsen 1980, 104-106). This research argues that while she seemed to have gained greater confidence in self-expression during this time , significant departures from her earlier academic style may be seen some time before her sojourn there. It is suggested that Bertha's work relied far more heavily on her own sense ofself-worth and state ofmind than to exotic influences. However, it is acknowledged that this penchant for attributing foreign styles to local artists does at first glance seem to be borne out, but as Bell (1988, 2) points out, the argument may be inadequate and overly simplistic. Bertha's isolation and remoteness from the art society, self-imposed or otherwise, excludes her from the more obvious influences of local South African artists.