Penny whistler tretchikoff biography

This work stands out as one of Tretchikoff's most renowned and historically significant paintings.
Penny Whisters is one of Tretchikoff's best known and most historically significant paintings.
Robert Sithole was born in District Six in 1945 and grew up in the same are (He later moved to Rylands as a result of apartheid South Africa's Group Areas.

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Tretchikoff at Bonhams

By Boris Gorelik

There is nothing second-rate about collecting Tretchikoff prints. In fact, a good collection of his reproductions is a homage to the mid 1950-60s, their peculiar popular tastes, hopes, ideals and artefacts. At eBay, this is known as the ‘Tretchikoff Era’.

The millions of people who purchased these prints across the Commonwealth – from Cape Town to Canterbury, from Winnipeg to Wellington, from Sydney to Singapore – had never seen the originals. Almost all the Tretchikoff paintings were in private hands. No museum or art gallery in the world owned a single canvas. For decades, for generations even, the general public had no access to the actual paintings.

The Chinese Girl, Tretchi’s most popular image, became known throughout the world as the ‘Green Lady’ – because of her unusual complexion. But the colour was rendered differently in reproductions, depending on the market and the degree of fading. So this picture was also often called the ‘Blue Lady’.

Tretchikoff iconic works – Lost Orchid, The Dying Swan, Journey’s End, Penny Whistl

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Robert Sithole, the penny whistler

Robert Sithole was born in District Six in 1945 and grew up in the same are (He later moved to Rylands as a result of apartheid South Africa's Group Areas Act and resultant forced removals from District Six). He played the pennywhistle in the Kwela Kids band together with his brother Josh. In the 1960s Sithole’s genius on the penny whistle on Cape Town street corners caught the eye of artist Vladimir Tretchikoff. Robert, his brother Josh and Duke Ngoma were immortalised in the Tretchikoff painting "Penny Whistlers".

Basil Simons, a Cape Town jazz club owner, invited Sithole to play at the Old Village Pub. Sithole went on to turn his music into a successful career.

In 1987, the ANC sent Sithole to the UK to study the arts, and things headed downhill from here. Ellen Zulu (Sithole's sister) said: “Someone saw him wearing a blanket and begging in the streets in the UK. Then, in 1998, he contacted my brother and told him that he was stranded there. So my brother sent some money for a ticket home.”

Together with music

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Tretchikoff: The hunt for mass-market masterpieces

The Issue 22 Price R30 ANTI UES Collector E PERT ADVICE DESTINATIONS INSPIRED LIFESTYLE Stay in touch 8 CHRISTOFLE'S SILVER Ava Gardner 12 20 The Collector is the quintessential South African publication for enthusiasts and collectors of all things beautiful. In this ISSUE YUKON Written by experts, it offers invaluable advice and information on a wide range of antiques and decorative objects, from everyday artefacts to fine art and museum pieces. The Collector is only available by subscription, from antique shops and news agents countr ywide. NAADA 2013 16-47 10 TRETCHIKOFF “ Co llec ting is an i nfec tio n w hi ch is m o re intra cta b le t h a n a ny v iru s a nd f ro m w h ich t h e re is no inoc ula t ion a nd no im m unity.” https://www.facebook.com/groups/119476728154279/ 30 retchikof THE HUNT FOR MASS-MARKET MASTERPIECES All images courtesy of www.vladimirtretchikoff.co.za T here is nothing second-rate about collecting Tretchikoff prints. In fact, a good collection of his reproductions is a homage to the mid 1950-60