Frans Oerder
Encyclopedia
Frans David Oerder was a Dutch-born South African landscape and portrait painter, etcher and lithographer.
Frans was the youngest of seven children born to a municipal employee. His father felt that art as a career was foolish, but agreed to his training as a decorator.
From 1880 to 1885, Oerder studied art at the Rotterdam Academy, winning the King William III Gold Medal and Bursary, later touring in Italy and studying in Brussels under Ernest Blanc-Garin (1843-1916) with the help of a small inheritance from his father.
Following his brother, he emigrated to South Africa in 1890, and initially worked as house painter and decorator for the firm of De Wyn & Engelenburg. Pressed by a shortage of work he entered the employ of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorweg Maatschappij
and painted poles along the Delagoa Bay railway line.
In 1894, he took up the position of art teacher at the Staatsmeisjesskool, which later became the Pretoria High School for Girls
and at the same time rented a studio in Church Street East. He eked out a living by drawing newspaper cartoons and helping Anton van Wouw
with commissions. A frequent visitor to the studio during this period was one of his art students, Pierneef.
In 1896, Oerder went on a painting holiday to Zululand
, and arranged an exhibition of his work in Cape Town
.
With the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War in 1899, he was appointed official war artist by President Paul Kruger
. His sketches and paintings from this bitter period are held at the War Museum in Bloemfontein
, the Africana Museum in Johannesburg
and the art collection of the University of Pretoria
.
In 1903, after the war, and no doubt still remembering his Zululand trip, Oerder travelled and painted along the East African
coast, contracting malaria
during the trip. He was elected a member of the South African Society of Artists in 1905, and with the tide finally turning in his favour,
received several commissions to paint landscapes and portraits, such as that of General Louis Botha
.
He found conditions difficult in postwar South Africa and in 1908 returned to the Netherlands via Italy. At first he settled in Brabant
, but later moved to Amsterdam
where he married a fellow painter, Gerda Pitlo, in 1910. Her interest in flower painting influenced him and he started on still life compositions, especially flower studies. His painting Magnolias was sold to the New York Graphic Society, becoming one of the most popular images ever and reproductions of this still life achieved record sales for the Society, Oerder receiving no royalties whatever. Oerder hadn't forgotten his ties to South Africa, and occasionally carried out commissions such as designing covers for the weekly magazine, Die Brandwag
, and arranging an exhibition in Johannesburg
.
He eventually returned to Pretoria with his wife in 1938. His work by now was widely acclaimed, and in a grand gesture the tower-room of the Pretoria City Hall was made available to him for use as a studio. Here he painted several important portraits, including that of Jan Smuts
. He now had the time and inclination to travel and paint in the Cape Province
, Natal and the Northern Transvaal.
Complications following on a bout of pneumonia left him debilitated, and he died in Pretoria in 1944. Throughout his career he had divided his output fairly evenly between landscape, portrait and still-life, with the Dutch influence always apparent.
Frans was the youngest of seven children born to a municipal employee. His father felt that art as a career was foolish, but agreed to his training as a decorator.
From 1880 to 1885, Oerder studied art at the Rotterdam Academy, winning the King William III Gold Medal and Bursary, later touring in Italy and studying in Brussels under Ernest Blanc-Garin (1843-1916) with the help of a small inheritance from his father.
Following his brother, he emigrated to South Africa in 1890, and initially worked as house painter and decorator for the firm of De Wyn & Engelenburg. Pressed by a shortage of work he entered the employ of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorweg Maatschappij
Netherlands-South African Railway Company
The Netherlands-South African Railway Company or NZASM was established in August 1884 in the Transvaal, and funded by Dutch, German and Transvaal capitalists....
and painted poles along the Delagoa Bay railway line.
In 1894, he took up the position of art teacher at the Staatsmeisjesskool, which later became the Pretoria High School for Girls
Pretoria High School for Girls
Pretoria High School for Girls, also called Girls High or PHSG, is a public, fee charging, English medium high school for girls located in Hatfield, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.-Second Anglo-Boer War:...
and at the same time rented a studio in Church Street East. He eked out a living by drawing newspaper cartoons and helping Anton van Wouw
Anton Van Wouw
Anton van Wouw was a Dutch-born sculptor regarded as the father of South African sculpture.-Biography:...
with commissions. A frequent visitor to the studio during this period was one of his art students, Pierneef.
In 1896, Oerder went on a painting holiday to Zululand
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, and arranged an exhibition of his work in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
.
With the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War in 1899, he was appointed official war artist by President Paul Kruger
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger , better known as Paul Kruger and affectionately known as Uncle Paul was State President of the South African Republic...
. His sketches and paintings from this bitter period are held at the War Museum in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, the Africana Museum in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and the art collection of the University of Pretoria
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria is a multi campus public research university located in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa...
.
In 1903, after the war, and no doubt still remembering his Zululand trip, Oerder travelled and painted along the East African
East African
East African may refer to:*Any person or object of, or pertaining to, East Africa*East African Airlines, an airline based in Kampala, Uganda*East African Safari Air, a now defunct airline based in Kenya*The EastAfrican, a weekly newspaper in East Africa...
coast, contracting malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
during the trip. He was elected a member of the South African Society of Artists in 1905, and with the tide finally turning in his favour,
received several commissions to paint landscapes and portraits, such as that of General Louis Botha
Louis Botha
Louis Botha was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state...
.
He found conditions difficult in postwar South Africa and in 1908 returned to the Netherlands via Italy. At first he settled in Brabant
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
, but later moved to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
where he married a fellow painter, Gerda Pitlo, in 1910. Her interest in flower painting influenced him and he started on still life compositions, especially flower studies. His painting Magnolias was sold to the New York Graphic Society, becoming one of the most popular images ever and reproductions of this still life achieved record sales for the Society, Oerder receiving no royalties whatever. Oerder hadn't forgotten his ties to South Africa, and occasionally carried out commissions such as designing covers for the weekly magazine, Die Brandwag
Die Brandwag
Die Brandwag was the first Afrikaans illustrated family magazine in the Transvaal and was published monthly between 1910 and 1922 under the joint editorship of Dr W M R Malherbe and Gustav Preller. The first issue appeared on 31 May 1910 and the last in February 1922.The magazine played an...
, and arranging an exhibition in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
He eventually returned to Pretoria with his wife in 1938. His work by now was widely acclaimed, and in a grand gesture the tower-room of the Pretoria City Hall was made available to him for use as a studio. Here he painted several important portraits, including that of Jan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
. He now had the time and inclination to travel and paint in the Cape Province
Cape Province
The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
, Natal and the Northern Transvaal.
Complications following on a bout of pneumonia left him debilitated, and he died in Pretoria in 1944. Throughout his career he had divided his output fairly evenly between landscape, portrait and still-life, with the Dutch influence always apparent.