Title: Untitled (rural scene)
Medium: Oil on board
Signed
Unframed: 44cm x 54cm
Framed: 61cm x 71cm
Arnold Balwé, the son of Jan Hendrik Balwé, was a talented painter that studied in Antwerp and became a close friend of Laubser during her stay in London. He introduced Maggie to the ideas of Vincent van Gogh. Although she never saw van Gogh’s work in real life, his ideas on painting influenced her immensely. In this painting representing a rural scene in Lesotho van Gogh’s influence is very evident (van Rooyen 1974:11).
Rhythm, as in the work of van Gogh, played an important part in Laubser’s art. This quality can be explained as the result of her abiding love for music. She was particularly fond of the German composer, Johannes Brahms, and all her life she surrounded herself with musicians. Of all the musicians in Maggie’s life the most influential was her mother Johanna Catharina Laubser (neé Holm) who was an accomplished pianist that often performed with Prof. F.W. Jannasch of Stellenbosch (van Rooyen 1974:7 & 19).
