2003 | PAINTINGS & DRAWINGS

When Bosch turned eighty in 2003, he worked in clay for the last time and took up again the direction he excelled in as a student — that of painting and drawing.

In his paintings he attempted to distil the silence and infinite peace of space, and themes such as the ephemeral beauty of clouds, light dancing on the sea and koi fish whirling in an eddy of colour are characteristic of his work. Murray Schoonraad evaluated his oil paintings thus: ‘Intense concentrations of form and colour, delicately executed and extremely successful, reminiscent of the water lilies of Monet.’

In his last years, Bosch began working with wood-pen drawings on paper and gesso, producing compelling drawings of indigenous Lowveld trees. He regarded each drawing as a portrait: ‘Every drawing is unique, as each tree has its own light and shadow and interesting leaf, branch and trunk characteristics. I have great admiration for botanical artists, but I am not one – I try only to capture the character of each tree.’

Bosch ended his career spending hours making these drawings, and often commenting on the pleasure he derived from the work. Even as he became frail and only able to work for short periods, shortly before his death, he could be found in his studio drawing yet another portrait of the Lowveld trees he loved so much.

Esias Bosch passed away on 24 April 2010.

Browse prints of trees available for purchase here.