Adolf JENTSCH (1888 – 1977)
Bruin Bos
1955
watercolour on paper
18 x 35 cm
Groen Bos
1964
watercolour on paper
18 x 26.5 cm
BIOGRAPHY
Adolph Jentsch was born in Dresden, Germany, where he received his art education at the Staatsakademie fϋr Bildende Künste. He was a contemporary of well-known artists like George Grosz and Kurt Schwitters. Dissatisfied with the direction of modern European art and the political situation in Germany, Jentsch emigrated to South West Africa (now Namibia) in 1938. Settling near Windhoek, he dedicated the rest of his life to capturing the landscapes of the region. His work is characterised by its subtlety and simplicity, reflecting his mystical approach to nature and the influence of Eastern philosophy.
Jentsch held his first solo exhibition in southern Africa in Windhoek in 1938. He participated in notable exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale in 1954, and had multiple retrospectives, the most prominent being in Windhoek on his 70th birthday in 1958. His dedication to capturing the essence of the Namibian landscape led to his works being featured in several prestigious art collections, including the Iziko South African National Gallery and the Johannesburg Art Gallery. Despite a significant loss of his work in a fire in 1975, Jentsch’s legacy endures.