South African National Gallery

The origins of the gallery trace back to a meeting at the Cape Town Public Library on 12 October 1850, where the South African Fine Arts Association was founded by Thomas Butterworth Bayley and Abraham de Smidt to establish a permanent home for a national collection. The Association organized the first fine art exhibition in South Africa in May 1851. The National collection itself was formally founded in 1872 following a bequest of paintings from Thomas Butterworth Bayley's estate.

In 1875, the Association purchased premises in Queen Victoria Street, and by the South African Art Gallery Act of 1895, the government took over the collection in trust, purchasing the premises for R12,000. Although the National Gallery Act provided for new premises, foundations were not laid until 1914, and the current building was officially opened to the public on 3 November 1930 by the Earl of Athlone. The collection was housed in a wing of the South African Museum from 1900 until the new building opened.

The current gallery building, constructed between 1914 and 1930, is noted for its superb exterior proportions and details, standing as an excellent example of architectural congruences and affinities possible during a period of profound divergence in South African architecture. The interior originally featured six galleries, including a central space, four end galleries, the Liberman Room, and an oval 'miniature room' connecting two end galleries. The foyer opened into a grand exhibition space characterized by a top-lit barrel-vaulted ceiling terminated by semi-circular panels.

In 1939, Eva Meyerowitz executed a plaster bas-relief over the main entrance. The building was expanded in 1937 to accommodate new purchases, including works by South African artists. The architectural design provided for perfect circulation through interior spaces that varied in size before some rooms were later closed for storage.

The gallery's collection is diverse, comprising largely Dutch, French, and British works from the 17th to the 19th century, including lithographs and etchings, alongside early 20th-century British paintings. A significant portion of the collection is dedicated to South African art, featuring authoritative holdings of sculpture and beadwork. Notable acquisitions include works by Anton van Wouw, such as 'African Head', and Neville Lewis's 'Adderley Street Flower-sellers', purchased in 1926 as the first pieces by South African artists.

The permanent collection features prominent artists such as Jane Alexander, known for 'The Butcher Boys', Willem Boshoff, Alan Davie, Marlene Dumas, Robert Hodgins, and William Kentridge, whose series of five Soho Eckstein short animated films is held by the gallery. Other notable works include 'Holiday Time in Cape Town' by Robert Gwelo Goodman and pieces by Thomas Baines and Wolf Kibel. The Friends of the Gallery have contributed significantly, acquiring works like a triptych by Cecil Skotnes and Mary Sibande's 'The Friends' series.

The Iziko South African National Gallery holds a pivotal role in South Africa's cultural landscape as the nation's primary repository for art history and a platform for contemporary discourse. Its significance is underscored by its ability to host controversial and impactful works, such as Dean Hutton's 'Fuck White People' in 2017, which became a subject of legal challenge under the Equality Act and was ruled as protected artistic expression. The gallery has evolved from a colonial-era initiative to a modern institution that actively engages with South Africa's diverse communities, selecting contemporary works from many sectors of society.

The Friends of the Iziko South African National Gallery, established in 1968, have played a crucial role in supporting the museum through acquisitions, conservation, and educational programmes, including transporting learners who otherwise could not visit. The gallery's collection and exhibitions provide insight into the extraordinary range of aesthetic production in South Africa and across the African continent.