Title: The old shepherd
Medium: Oil on board
Signed
Unframed: 44.5cm x 55cm
Framed: 63cm x 73cm
In a 1956 interview, Laubser recalled that Old Booi, a centenarian Bushman Shepard and family retainer, was originally from Bloemfontein and wore an ostrich feather in his hat (van Rooyen 1974:17).
After the death of Jan Hendrik Balwé, Maggie returned to Oortmanspost their family farm in South Africa where she found solace in her immediate and familiar surroundings. Farm animals and labourers became her main subjects (van Rooyen 1974:12). It was also during this year of mourning that she started to paint Old Booi. The paintings Laubser made during this stay is imbued with a sense of loss and melancholy resignation. The palette she used is also reminiscent of the German Expressionists: shadowy greens, cold browns, and primary colours (van Rooyen 1974:17).
