Crown Nguni, Purple and Orange, Original Art Canvas Print

The Work

A symmetrical, front-facing Nguni sits against a purple and blue ground, wide cream horns sweeping past the edges of the canvas. The horns carry some of the thickest impasto in the piece, smooth ridges of cream and tan that curve the way the horn does. The face is a mosaic of yellow, orange, pink, teal and lime, with a pale pink and white muzzle above a dark mouth. Orange and lime shoulders hang either side of a deep navy chest, and the ears are lined in red and orange around black centres. The gaze is level and the composition almost formal: the animal fills the centre, and the colour moves outward from it.

The Inspiration

This is the most formal portrait I have made of the Nguni. The head is perfectly central, the horns run wide and level, and the purple behind it is the colour long associated with rank. I wanted the animal to look the way it is regarded, as something with standing. Then I let the face break into colour so the portrait stays alive instead of stiff. Authority in the horns, play in the face, and a steady stare holding the two together.

What It Carries

The horns bring the authority and the colour brings the warmth. Together they make a face that is both commanding and approachable, which is a rare balance in a portrait. The level gaze sits at the centre of the symmetry and gives the eye a place to land before it begins to roam. What lingers is the contrast between the stillness of the pose and the activity of the surface, formal in structure and loose in every stroke.

Living With It

Purple and blue sit well with deep green, charcoal, plum velvet, dark timber and brass, and just as easily against white plaster. Light on the cream horns draws a clear ridge of highlight along each curve, and evening light pushes the purple closer to violet. A0 gives the piece the formal size it deserves above a headboard, a long sideboard or a lounge wall, while A1 suits an office, a dressing room or a stairwell. The 35mm profile gives a classic, balanced finish, and 25mm keeps it more modern.

Who It's For

For the collector who likes a portrait with rank and a sense of humour, and for the designer who needs a centrepiece for a formal room.

A Note on Sizes

This design is available in a range of sizes to suit your space. Available as A0 and A1 poster prints, rolled and shipped. Also available as mounted canvas prints in 16mm, 25mm, 35mm, and 50mm profile thicknesses in both A0 and A1. A large format 1200 x 2000mm option is available on both poster and mounted canvas. Floating frames are available on request. Email jacques@jacquesviljoen.co.za for a quote and full details.

Proportions, decor and frames shown in previews are for display purposes only. Your final print dimensions will depend on the size you select. The most popular size across our canvas range is the A0 in a 35mm profile frame.

Preview images are styled to show the design in a room setting. Check the measurements for the size you choose at checkout so you know exactly what is coming.