Helen Anne Petrie (1932-2006) - South African female Anti-Apartheid painter, poet and activist

Helen Anne Petrie (1932-2006)

2009-10-16 11:25:09 - A leading UAE Royal Family has privately acknowledged acquiring US $1.3 Million worth of Paintings by reclusive Anti Apartheid South African Female Artist Helen Anne Petrie(1932-2006) via private treaty with The Strutt Family Trust (IT694/2002) just a few days ago. The contracts were signed on 3 September 2009 in Dubai.

A spokesperson for the UAE Family said:
"After all the questionable media attention of late by The Sunday Times of London, and having done our own private research, we simply could not resist the opportunity to add some of her ethnic related works to our collection.

Why should any European Royal Family confirm or deny to a Journalist any questions

they may have?
For us it is much easier as we all have access to reliable Secretaries and Ambassadors.

We have had 2 previous dealings with the Strutt Family Trust in South Africa and Mr. Glenn Strutt and were, on each occasion , most pleased and satisfied with our acquisitions which included a wet street scene of Paarl by David Botha and a few other works from the Estate of well known Paarl Architect Cedric Vos, who, like Miss Petrie had his links to Kimberley in South Africa and surroundings"

Anne felt that at the time, the taste of small art-public was extremely backward & that there were too few discerning collectors & buyers, particularly in South Africa which was at that point still a British colony.

Anne did however exhibit in South Africa twice in 1967, the most important exhibition being from 30th October till 11th November at the South African Association of Artists Annual Exhibition at 63 Burg Street, Cape Town.

Aleading Art Critic of the day, Johan van Rooyen stated her 3 works entitled respectively Indian Girl (Recently sold at Bonhams Auctioneers in London), Bantu Boy (SEE Image)& Late Afternoon, Kommetjie “should be hailed as proving the standard that is expected at an exhibition of this calibre”, which included works by fellow internationally, respected & collected artists I.Roworth, S.Butler, and V.Volschenk & L. Mears.

She declined to participate as the collection “did not possess that degree of inner unity it would have had if the collection had from the beginning been built up for the purpose of exhibition”.

Yet shy, introvert, emotionally imbalanced & disillusioned at the politics which clearly favoured predominantly male, Afrikaans artists as opposed to English-speaking females like herself, she stopped exhibiting at most major galleries & vehemently declined many invitations to sell her Art after that.

Anne noted in her personal diary in 1972 that 2 major schools of thought were apparent in the South African art world. One where artists identified with various aspects of their social, political, geographical & environmental conditions; the other with very close ties with international trends, often be related to Colonialism & the Empire.

This duality appeared to be the natural result of a “Nation” shaping & divorcing itself from its’ old rural & colonial character.

During the 1970’s 80’s & 1990’s Anne never tried to idealise her subjects. She always strove for the accurate representation of everyday, apparently casual or overlooked subjects.

Her devotion to her art, especially during her latter years was so great that she also infected her fellow artists, resulting in anti-art people being able to view art with greater respect & admiration.

In the Transvaal & in the Western Cape she discovered the destruction caused by the introduction of the Group Areas Act that stimulated her imagination. In Europe; mainly Italy and Scotland she sought the dream-world for which she deeply yearned.

Anne felt most at home in the Cape.
Not only because she found relief there for her bodily ills, but in the autumns & winters there, had she re-discovered her homeland thus her identity? At the end of her life, Anne had amongst her closest friends & fellow artists, mainly local Cape Coloured & Malay inhabitants. These were the people with whom Anne felt she could really be herself: a plain, genuine woman who seldom made preparatory cause of her impulsive nature.

Anne Petrie, the woman, the benefactor, the pacifist, the friend…

The TRUE Matriarch of South African Female Artists.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS OF HER WORKS ARE PLANNED IN THE FALL IN THE HAMPTONS, CHELSEA AND MONTE CARLO

It has been confirmed in writing by all the below mentioned Royal Households that they do already have works by Helen Anne Petrie

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II & H.R.H. Phillip, the Prince Consort of The United Kingdom
H.M. King Juan Carlos I & Queen Sofia of Spain
H.M. Kong Harald & H.M. Dronning Sonja of Norway
H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf & H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden
Her Majesty Queen Anne-Marie & H.R.H. Henrik, the Prince Consort of Denmark
Emperor Akihitoand Empress Michiko of Japan
Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands
H.R.H King Constantine & H.M. Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
H.R.H Charles, Prince of Wales & Duchess of Cornwall.