Nostalgia. A wistful yearning to return to a past period or irrevocable condition. This gentle, pastoral landscape stands as a souvenir of nostalgia - a pleasant moment preserved in time, by South African born painter Enslin du Plessis (1894 - 1978).

Du Plessis spent much of his life out of the country but is still regarded as a South African painter owing to his constant connection with the country via his frequent visits, exhibitions, roadshows and his presence in many public and private South African Art collections.

'Du Plessis' paintings display close affinity with the works of the French Intimists. Although he lingers lovingly over visual detail and pattern, his brushwork is brisk - the typically quick, calligraphic strokes provide in fact, a distinctive signature on all his work - sometimes almost a shorthand record, implying more than is actually said.' (Esmé Berman)

This painting of Jack Cope's farm sits like an oasis of calm amidst the perpetual daily drama of city life in the 21st century. Jack Cope (1913 - 1991)  was a prolific South African novelist, poet and short story writer. He also worked as a cultural critic and editor for the anti-apartheid newspaper, The Guardian. After his divorce he began his infamous affair with South African poet, Ingrid Jonker. His book 'The Dawn Comes Twice' (1969) was banned by the South African government. Jack Cope’s literary legacy revolves around the racial history of South Africa and his largely independent viewpoints that were controversial for the oppressive times of South Africa in the 1960’s and 70’s.

Much like Jack Cope, Enslin du Plessis was also an independent; little concerned with the theory of painting and hardly modifying his style in over 50 years. Permeating every pictorial statement is a sense of his own self identification and an awareness of the artist's presence.

This landscape of Jack Cope's farm, feels meditative in its tranquility but also alive in its pulsating breath. An inhale on the quiet sky blues of air and an exhale to a connected Earth of Savignon blanc greens, all mediated by the literal lungs of tall trees and the neutrals of rambling, old, historical farm buildings. Intimate, light, calligraphic mark-making breathe their presence and vibrancy in feathery, romantic veins.

This painting has everything to do with an aesthetic attitude which regards the Modern Adventure as a remote beacon on the timeline of human understanding and a distant memory that grazes on the edge of our desire for a more simplified habitat.

On most days this painting provides a welcome transplant for our tired spirits thirsty for souvenirs of natural surrounds, pastoral nostalgia and a living, breathing quietude however faraway they may be.