A COMPARATIVE READING OF THE DEPICTION OF AFRIKANER ANCESTRY IN TWO WORKS BY C.D.BELL Richardt Strydom Dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Magister Artium in History of Art at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North­ West University Supervisor: Ms. M.C. Swanepoel November 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people who have supported me in a direct or indirect manner in the completion of this dissertation. I would like to thank all of them. I would specifically like to thank the following people: • My study leader, Me. Rita Swanepoel for her academic leadership, guidance, support and encouragement. • Prof. Paul Schutte, director of the School of Communication Studies, for his support in managing workload. • Ian Marley for his encourE\gement and support both in his capacity as subject head and as friend. • My colleagues at the Subject group Graphic Design, the School of Communication Studies and the Faculty of Arts for their support and encouragement. • Louise-marie Combrink for her valued academic contribution, and in language editing of this dissertation. • To all my friends and family who have supported me through this process. • Steven Bosch for commitment, understanding unwavering support and encou ragement. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract Opsomming Index of iii CHAPTER 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Specific research questions 5 1.3 Specific objectives 6 1.4 Central theoretical argument 7 1 Method 8 1.6 Brief overview of chapters 8 CHAPTER 2 GENERAL SURVEY OF POSTCOLONIAL THEORY: CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY 1. Introduction 10 2.2. Concepts, terminology and main theoretical tenets 10 2. 1 Colonialism and imperialism 10 2.2.2. Anti-colonialism, neo-colonialism and decolonisation 23 Postcolonial ism 2 1 Postcolonial discourse of the other 39 2.4 Conclusion CHAPTER 3 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE AFRIKANER ANCESTRY 1652 -1901 WITH IN THE CONTEXT OF SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY 1 Introduction 58 3.2 Contextual background 58 3.3 Biographical history of the Afrikaner ancestry 1652 - 1901 64 3.4 Conclusion 102 CHAPTER 4 CHARLES DAVIDSON BELL'S (1813-1882) BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY AND ARTISTIC OEUVRE: 1830-1873 4.1 Introduction 104 4.2 Biography of C. D. Bell 1813 -1882 104 4.3 European landscape painting in the early nineteenth century 112 4.4 Bell in context of the European explorer art tradition 119 4.5 Conclusion 137 CHAPTERS A READING OF CHARLES DAVIDSON BELL'S THE LANDING OF VAN RIEBEECK, 1652 AND CATTLE BOERS' OUTSPAN 5.1 I ntrod u ction 138 5.2. The landing of Van Riebeeck, 1652 138 5.2.1 The landing of Van Riebeeck, 1652 within an ideological context 142 5.2.2 The landing of Van Riebeeck, 1652 within the context of social realities 147 5.2.3 The landing of Van Riebeeck, 1652 within context of authoring strategies 152 5.3 Cattle boers' outspan 159 5.3.1 Cattle boer's outspan within an ideological context 162 5.3.2 Cattle boer's outspan within context of social realities 168 5.3.3 Cattle boer's outspan within the context of authoring strategies 171 5.4 Conclusion 178 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUDING REMARKS REGARDING A COMPARATIVE READERING OF LANDING OF VAN RIEBEECK, 1652 AND CATTLE BOERS' OUTSPAN 6.1 Introduction 179 6.2 Summary of findings 179 6.3 A comparative reading of Charles Davidson Bell's The landing of Van Riebeeck, 1652 and Cattle boers' outspan 182 6.3.1 Comparative reading within an ideological context 182 6.3.2 Comparative reading within the context of social realities 188 6.3.3 Comparative reading within the context of authoring strategies 193 6.4 Conclusion 204 BIBLIOGRAPHY 205 FIGURES ABSTRACT This dissertation investigates the contradictions and similarities regarding the depictions of Afrikaner ancestry in two works by Charles Davidson Bell: The landing of Van Riebeeck, 1652 (1850) and Cattle boers' outspan (s.a.). The works were discussed and compared from a conventional perspective in order to establish the artworks' formal qualities, subject matter and thematic content This reading was extended by employing postcolonial theoretical principles in order to contextualise these two artworks within their Victorian ideological frameworks, social realities and authoring strategies. The extended comparative reading revealed a number of similarities and contradictions regarding the artist's depiction of Afrikaner ancestry in these two works. Postcolonial theory furthe'r facilitated a more comprehensive and dense reading of the chosen artworks, as well as of the artist's oeuvre. Keywords: AFrikaner, Bell C. D., boer, British Imperialism, colonialism, colonizer, culture, explorer art, hybr1dity, Other, pictorial convention, postcolonialism, postcolonial identity, representation, settler, South Africa 1652 - 1901, trekboer, Victorian art. OPSOMMING In hrerdie verhandeling is die ooreenkomste en verskille in die uitbeelding van Afrikanervoorsate in twee werke van Charles Davidson Bell, The landing of Van Riebeeck, 1652 (1850) en Cattfe boers' outspan (s.a.) ondersoek. Die kunswerke is eerstens vergelykend gelees en ge"(nterpreteer vanuit 'n konvensionele perspektief om sodoende die formele eienskappe, die onderwerpsmateriaal en tematiese inhoude te bepaal. Die konvensionele interpretasie is uitgebrei deur 'n postkoloniale lees wat betref die Victoriaanse ideologiese raamwerke, sosiale realiteite en outeurstrategiee in beide werke. Die uitgebreide vergelykende lees van bogenoemde werke het verskeie verskille en ooreenkomste rakende die uitbeelding van die Afrikanervoorsate blootgele. Deur middel van postkoloniale teoretiese begrondings is 'n dieperliggender en indringender vergelykende lees van sowel die gekose kunswerke, as die kunstenaar se oeuvre bereik. Sleutelwoorde: Afrikaner, Bell C. D., Britse Imperialisme, kolonialisme, kolonialis, kultuur, Afrikana, hibriditeit, Ander, pikturale konvensie, postkolonialisme, postkoloniale identiteit, representasie, setlaar, Suid Afrika 1652 - 1901, trekboer, Victoriaanse kuns. ii INDEX OF FIGURES FIGURE 1 BELL, Charles Davidson. Bushmen driving cattle up a kloof ~ Boers in pursuit (s.a.). Watereolour. Dimensions unknown. MuseumAfriea. (Cameron & Spies. 1987:105). FIGURE 2 ~ELL, Charles Davidson. The landing of Van Rieb.eeck~ 1652 (1850). Oil. 75.9 x 92 em. South African Library. (Brooke Simons, 1998:156). FIGURE 3 BELL, Charles Davidson. The isle ofthe Holy Cross (1850). Oil. 75 x 92 em. South African Library. (Brooke Simons, 1998:94). FIGURE 4 BELL, Charles Davidson. Cattle boers~ outspan (s.a.). Watereolour. Dimensions unknown. MuseumAfriea. (Cameron & Spies. 1987:128). FIGURE 5 BELL, Charles Davidson. Hottentots dancing - Grahamstown (1843). Pencil. 18.5 x 23 em. MuseumAfriea. (Brooke Simons, 1998:21). FIGURE 6 GAINSBOROUGH, Thomas. Landscape with woodcutter courting a milkmaid. (1755). Oil. 106.7 x 128.2. Bedford Estate. (Barrell, 1992:37). iii FIGURE 7 CONSTABLE, John. The Hay Wain (1821). Oil. 128 x 185 cm. National Gallery, London (Marien & Flemming, 2005:539). FIGURE 8 CLAUDE LORRAINE. Landscape with the father ofPsyche sacrificing to Apollo. (1660-70). Oil. 175 x 223 cm. National Trust (Fairhaven Collection), Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire, England. (Honour & Fleming, 1999:594). FIGURE 9 BELL, Charles Davidson. The Boer (s.a.). Ink and Wash. 10.8 x 16.7 cm. Brenthurst Library. (Brooke Simons, 1998:141). FIGURE 10 BELL, Charles Davidson. Medicine man blowing counter charm towards the enemy (1834). Watercolour (monochrome). 26.7 x 18.5 cm. MuseumAfrica. (Brooke Simons, 1998:145). FIGURE 11 BELL, Charles Davidson. Selfportrait (s.a.). Crayon. 70 x 57 cm. William Fehr Collection. (Brooke Simons, 1998:2). FIGURE 12 iv BELL, Charles Davidson. Letter from Charles Bell to his sister ChristinaI 3 November 1837. (1837). Pen and ink. Dimensions unknown. Bell Heritage Trust Collection, University of Cape Town. (Brooke Simons, 1998:147). FIGURE 13 BELL, Charles Davidson. The skirmish at DriekoppenI Near Zwaartkopjes (s.a.). Lithograph. 34 x 51.5 em. Old Mutual Collection. (Brooke Simons, 1998:67). FIGURE 14 BELL, Charles Davidson. Scenery of the Kashan Mountains: the poort ofthe Urie River (1835). Watereolour. 14 x 24.2 em. MuseumAfriea. (Brooke Simons, 1998:143). v CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Eurocentric history deliberately promulgated the myth that Africa was a 'dark continent' replete with cannibals, savages, and inferior, uncivilised, backward, primitive peoples, devoid ofknowledge and culture ...(Hoskins, 1992:248). 1.1 Introduction ropean explorer artists, through their depiction of the African continent and its inhabitants, played an important role in promulgating the popular view that it was the duty of the colonialists to bring the light of civilisation to the "dark continent" (cf. Hoskins, 1992:248; Jacobs, 1995:9). With explorer art once considered outside the canon of European high art, the critical redress of explorer artists and their work has long been neglected (cf. Bradlow, 1998:10). Similarly the name and legacy of Charles Davison Bell (1813-1882) have until fairly recently been generally overlooked in artistic circles, being better known to philatelists as the designer of the much sought-after Cape triangular stamp (Bradlow, 1998:10). Very few publications are dedicated to Bell or his work. The first to attempt to provide a detailed biography of Bell was undertaken by Anna Smith in an article published in 1954, seventy-two years after Bell's death. Smith drew most of her information from contemporaneous nineteenth-century sources such as newspapers, as well as information gathered from documents in the Cape Archives (Bradlow, 1998:10). A later contribution