Situated just down the road from the Somerset East Museum in the Karoo town of Somerset East, one will find the Walter Battiss Art Gallery. Anybody involved in the South African art industry would know who Walter Battiss was. Walter Whall Battiss was born in Somerset East on 6 January 1906 (died 20 Aug 1982) and is generally considered as South Africa’s foremost abstract painter. From 1938 Battiss paid several visits to Europe where he met various successful poets and painters. It was during this time that he forged a lasting friendship with non other than Pablo Picasso.
The gallery was opened by Battiss in 1981 and is housed in an English officers’ mess which was built in the early days of Somerset, and once belonged to the Battiss family. The gallery houses the largest collection of Battiss’ work in Africa, and was fully restored in 1999.
Art, much less painting was never my strong point, but I enjoy seeing what others have done.
hmmm dit lyk baie *old fashion*
Lovely pictures – I love visiting old musuems, especially when they're all done out in their original form. One of my favourites is Sammy Marx's house near Pretoria!