Ophelia

This work titled, Ophelia is by the South African artist Christo Coetzee (1929-2000). One of Coetzee's most prized possessions was this painting of a young Spanish girl, depicting Ophelia from the Shakespearean play, Hamlet. Many British painters, depicted Ophelia and after she committed suicide, flowers were often painted as a choice subject. Coetzee changed this subject, by rather having the flowers in her hair than the usual pose of holding flowers in her hands. A Spanish Conde once offered to purchase this painting but Christo refused as it remained one of the artist's favourite. Short biography. The Johannesburg born artist, Christo Coetzee pursued his art studies at the Slade School of Art in London as a complementary tuition exercise to his fine art degree qualification acquired from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg South Africa. Most of Coetzee's works are mainly colourful, stylized figurative images and still lifes. After completing his studies he moved to Europe on an Government Travelling Scholarship and become part of the Stadler Stable in Paris before moving to Finestrat in Spain. Later, Coetzee went to Japan where he was invited to join the Gutai Group, the first radical Art Group in post-war Japan. It was in Japan that Coetzee developed his later art style that ultimately classified him as South Africa's leading and prominent avant-garde artists. Coetzee received international recognition for his contribution to the avant-garde art movements known as Art Informel, Assemblage and Neo-Baroque in Paris, Spain and Japan during the 1950s and 1960s, an art style he perfected. He passed away at the age of 71 in 2000 in Tulbagh in the Cape and bequeathed his entire home and collection to the University of Pretoria.