Mama Smoking a Pipe Painting

A piece of living history; a Xhosa matriarch smokes her pipe, as Nelson Mandela's mother would have done in the rural backwaters of the Transkei. We see a typical Xhosa scene depicted, with a mama lost in reverie, while enjoying a pipe of tobacco dressed up in her best clothes for a ceremonial occasion. A warm palate of yellows, reds and tobacco-umber conspire with the sinking sun to create a feeling of repose at the end of the day. Some activity, suggested by the figures in the distance lies in contrast to the scene in the foreground, which is more static. The pipe smoker stares blankly out into space, and the younger woman seated immediately behind her is also in a meditative mood. By comparison a different mood is set on the other side of the painting, where a dog hovers expectantly, and a woman who stares brazenly out, seems to be saying something to the viewer. The medium of watercolour has an ephemeral quality, with delicate, transparent films of paint that gain luminosity from the white paper underneath.

Painting:Watercolor on Paper

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:9.4 W x 12.6 H x 0 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.