Back to the farm & Travel in South Africa

Naudé returned to the Worcester family farm where a studio was built for him:

The farm studio. According to correspondence between Philip and “Wollie” Naudé, this photo was taken in 1926 and the building shown here (thought to be Naudé’s first studio in South Africa) was later demolished to make room for a dam.

His paintings of farm activities and the active lives of the local community are Van Gogh-like and show the influence by the Barbizon group, for example:

Drying fruit (1896). Signed and dated “2 IV 96”, oil on canvas laid down on board 40.5 x 52.5cm (Aspire Art lot 15, 31 October 2016, Johannesburg).
On the farm - Sketch. Adèle Naudé, Hugo Naudé, p.40.
On the farm. Signed “Hugo Naudé” lower right, oil on canvas 48 x 61cm, ibid., cover and Fig.24, p.41.
Cape Kitchen Interior (1898). Signed and dated ’98, oil on canvas 41 x 56cm excluding frame (Strauss & Co. lot 479, 4 February 2013). Artnet gave the date as 1889.
Courtyard with Figure and Chickens. Signed “H.N.” lower left on board 25 x 29cm [Stephan Welz, Art at Auction in SA. The art market review 1969-1995 (Saxonwold: Art Link Pty Ltd, 1996), p.154].
Orchard Hex River. Signed “Naudé” lower left, oil on plywood 29 x 39.5cm, at the Hugo Naudé Studio.

The above seems to have been influenced by Van Gogh’s Mulberry Tree:

There was a huge mulberry tree in Naudé’s back garden (Adèle Naudé, Hugo Naudé, p.8).

Naudé painted mainly portraits on commission, e.g. that of President Steyn,24 General Botha, the Rev. Andrew Murray, Ds William Murray:

Ds William Murray, hangs in the vestry (“konsistorie”) of the Worcester NG Church. Thanks to Philip Pool for emailing a photo of this portrait on 24 August 2021 – he apologized for the angled view but it was large and hung high up: oil on board 51 x 43cm, unsigned.

and Mr. J.H. Conradie (an Administrator of the Cape), and Miss van Blerck, his aunt in 1898:

Miss van Blerck (1898). Unsigned oil on board 36.5 x 33cm (Roets, p.174, App.A, VI). She was his father’s eldest sister Anna Susanna who married Casper van Blerck, possibly the family’s governess, hence the title “Miss”?

Naudé’s supportive father died in 1898 when he was 29 years old.

He also completed numerous silverpoint drawings:25

Signed lower right, 12 x 11.5cm (1979 Naudé House cat.no.41) at the Hugo Naudé Studio.

Signed lower right, 7.4 x 5cm (1979 Naudé House cat.no.41) at the Hugo Naudé Studio.

Naudé travelled to Namaqualand:

Namaqualand. Signed “Naudé” lower right, oil on board 34 x 43cm excluding frame, 55.5 x 64.5cm including frame (Stephan Welz & Co. lot 378, 31 July 2006, Johannesburg; 5th Ave Auctioneers lot 154, 29 July 2018, Johannesburg; Strauss & Co. lot 246, 20 May 2019; Strauss & Co. lot 222, 16 May 2022, Johannesburg).

The Drakensberg:

Drakensberg. Signed “Naudé” lower right, oil on artist’s board 28 x 39cm excl. frame; 35 x 47 x 3cm incl. frame (Strauss & Co. lot 105, 13 February 2023).

even as far as Victoria Falls:

Victoria Falls (1905). Signed oil on canvas 56 x 46cm (Mutual Art 20 March 2013).
in his self-assembled caravan on a Ford chassis (see niece Joan Jordaan’s tribute in Recollections III for more about these caravan trips):26

Naudé and his caravan.
The Travellers. Signed “Naudé” lower left, charcoal on paper laid down on card 33.5 x 43.5cm (Stephan Welz & Co. lot 518, 19 February 2008). The last two photos of the later ‘caravan’ are in the Studio’s glass case.

He had a bit of contact with other South African artists when he joined the South African Society of Artists in 190227 and exhibited with them in the Cape Town Drill Hall end 1902 and 1903.

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  1. Whereabouts apparently unknown (Roets, p.179, App.B no.15). In a letter from Hubert enquiring about the Artist’s maternal Hugo family, dated 11 February 1940, he is asked whether the portrait is finished yet. Naudé apparently used a photograph of President Steyn (see Hobhouse letter dated 6 July 1914). C.L. Leipoldt thought it was one of his best portrait studies (Die Huisgenoot, February 1939, p.19).↩︎
  2. Roets, p.179, App.B nos. 20 & 19 has measurements 15 x 12cm & 9 x 6cm, respectively. He claims they are both unsigned.↩︎
  3. See Adèle Naudé’s description of his two vehicles designed and built to his requirements (Hugo Naudé, pp.17-18). Sadly the later “motor karavaan” equipped for comfortable tour and camping purposes and in excellent condition (“gerieflik ingerig vir Toer- en Uitkamp Doeleindes en in Uitstekende orde” ) ended up on the Public Auction of his Estate at “The Studio” on Tuesday 29 July 1941 at 10h00. See photo of the auction notice in Posthumous Conclusion, forthcoming.↩︎
  4. Founded on 26 September 1902 at Kamp’s Café in Cape Town.↩︎