The exhibition Clément Sénèque, 1896-1930: A Private Collection of his Paintings freezes history of South Africa’s industrialisation around Durban Harbour and surrounds
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARETS Editor
He produced a stunning body of works both in quality and quantity, focussing mainly on life around the construction of Durban Harbour in the early 20th Century. His must rank as some of the earliest works to document the industrialisation of South Africa in general as represented by the documentation of Durban Harbour and its surrounds in the 1920s.
You most likely have not heard about an artist named Clément Sénèque, (b.1896 and passed on in 1930 at the young age of 33 years). If indeed you have not, not to worry because you are not the guests gathered in the gallery in the following way:
“Many of you have probably not heard of an artist called Clément Sénèque. Shame on you because he has created a stunning body of works that documented the early industrialisation in South Africa around the construction of Durban harbour in the 1920s.
You can call him post Expressionist artist, but it is not as simple as that. Other South African artists who were active working during that time included Dorothy Kay and Pierneef for example. But Clément Sénèque, started painting the scenes of industrialisation in South Africa way back before Pierneef started painting industrialisation, such as the mines,” Meredith who has a PHD in art history from Cambridge University stated.
The art historian who holds the position of head of the art department at Strauss &Co. went on to explain that Clément Sénèque, whose trade was that of an architect, was actually born in Maurrisa of a French speaking family, who settled in Durban in the early 20th century, around 1904. But he then left for Paris and painted some of his body of works while he was on honey moon there.
“I wonder what was happening with his new wife during that time, ”Meredith joked.
The point Meredith was making is the fact that here is an artist who hailed from South Africa and was one of the significant voices especially in documenting the industrialisation that took place at the time in the country, as represented by his paintings of life around the construction of Durban harbour and its surrounds, and yet many an ordinary art lover, even an avid collector does not know much about this man.
It however took one collector’s collection to bring to the present, works created in the 1920s South Africa. Walking around this exhibition feels like one is being taken on a history lesson of how Durban Harbour looked like then, and how much has changed about it and life around this essential transport nerve of present day South Africa. In this exhibition, my attention was arrested for a moment by one particular painting, that of the City Hall during its construction. I wondered how does this iconic city structure look like now in relation to its early stages of life as represented by this painting titled City Hall.
This is a great exhibition that begs to be viewed by anyone who cares. And to make you even understand better this exhibition and the period the body of works covers in South African history, there is an accompanying book which was launched on the same night.
.Clément Sénèque, 1896-1930: A Private Collection of his Paintings exhibition is currently at Strauss & Co, 89 Central Street, Houghton and is open to public for viewing: 17 November – 1 December 2022 | Weekdays: 9am – 4pm. The Book is available for sale for R650.