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Movement, rhythm and life

Jan 2 - Dec 23 2025

Movement, rhythm and life

Ballet dancers by Irma Stern

About

The exhibition showcases Irma Stern's work on subjects in movement. Two dedicated rooms invite to quiet meditation and engagement with the works of art, depicting people in labouring positions and ballet dancers. Mediums include oil, pastels and chalk; some pieces are shown for the first time.

Irma Stern and people in labouring positions

Irma Stern’s vibrant depictions of labour transcend mere documentation, capturing instead the essence of movement, rhythm and life. From scenes of carrying water to harvesting fruit, Stern’s compositions are not narratives but lyrical harmonies, where people, earth, and sky are woven together in dynamic unity. As Neville Dubow observed, these “figures-in-landscape compositions” are animated by sweeping rhythms that celebrate both the natural world and the vital human effort within it.Through her quick, vigorous brushstrokes and vivid colours, Stern brings an energetic, almost musical quality to scenes of work. Her paintings are not just records of labour but tributes to the cycles of nature, the fecundity of the earth, and the people whose toil ensures its continuity.

Irma Stern's ballet dancers

Irma Stern's ballet dancers show her interest in the human figure and movement. In these works, she focuses on the elegance and fluidity of the dancer's movement. Her use of bold, expressive brushstrokes captures the dynamism and energy of dance. She is painting the dancers in mid-motion, emphasising the physicality and poise required in ballet while also maintaining her characteristic emotional intensity.
These ballet works also highlight themes of femininity, beauty and discipline. Ballet dancers are traditionally viewed as symbols of refinement and aesthetic perfection, yet Stern's portrayals sometimes reveal a tension between the outward grace of the dancers and the rigorous, demanding nature of their art. In this way, her work parallels some of her other depictions of labour, focusing on the physical and emotional exertion involved in dance.
Exhibition start: 1 Jun 2024
Date
  • Jan 2 - Dec 23 2025

Location
  • The Firs, 1st floor, Irma Stern™ Museum

Ballet dancers by Irma Stern

02

January

25-01-02

23

December

25-12-23

Wed – Fri: 10 am ‒ 5 pm
Sat: 10 am ‒ 2 pm

Adults: R65
U18s, students, pensioners, UCT staff: free

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